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[visiontherapy]

Can a Dyslexic be Helped... Ever?

Is your child dyslexic? There is a lot of talk these days about dyslexia, probably more than ever before.  An evolution of the definition appears to have taken place, and this has caused confusion for many parents.

The Classic Dyslexic

The classic dyslexic as described in the original literature by people like Drs Adolph Kussmaul and Rudolf Berlin (who first used the word dyslexia to describe someone who, in his terms was "word blind") implied that the condition was genetic, and thereby incurable.  Examples of such patients were not common, and they displayed an inability to recognise words, as well as the classic symptom of writing words in reverse.

The Modern Dyslexic

The problem is that, as the definition has morphed into pretty much any reading or writing difficulty, the assumption that the condition is incurable has not morphed in the same way.  Dyslexia is now an extremely common diagnosis in some fields, and the problem is that many teachers, and parents, feel that it is a problem that nothing and no one will be able to help in any way.

Several innovations have attempted to help the child dyslexic, the most famous being coloured lenses (Irlen lenses). Less well known is the kind of treatments we offer in our practice, where we use conventional, clear lenses and innovative vision therapy to help dyslexic kids.

How Can We Help?

I'll e honest, I'm not a fan of labels, especially when they are applied to a child who has enough problems learning!  I see their usefulness at times, but I would rather prescribe a solution than a label any day.

Vision is the dominant sense in the classroom, and so it makes sense to examine it closely.  Almost every child with a learning problem can see the print, so clearly we are going to have to go beyond the current medical model of so-called 20/20 vision.

Just because a child can see the print, does not mean they can learn effectively!  Chimpanzees can see the print, but they cannot read, so again we are going to have to do better than a traditional eye examination.

Behavioural optometry looks at far more than a child's ability to see, and we perform many complex tests looking at the child's eye teaming and focussing, and their ability to decode and process words on a page.

Using specialised lenses, we find we can often dramatically improve a child's focusing and concentration when it comes to reading and writing. But hey, concentration is only part of the solution, as any parent knows.

Vision Therapy to the Rescue

I have designed my own vision therapy course which trains the basic visual skills kids need when they learn. Glasses might help, but of the child is far behind we need to try something to catch them up fast.

Using our exclusive vision therapy course, many have seen not instant but sustained improvement in their children, whether they are dyslexic or carrying another label.

Why not have a look at our vision therapy here...

Or better still, call this number and make a time to come in for your BULK BILLED eye examination...

5457 3333

https://behaviouraloptometristsunshinecoast.com.au/learning-disabilities-and-dyslexia/can-a-dyslexic-be-helped-ever/

[visiontherapy]

Dyslexia and Other Labels

Dyslexia is one of the most common diagnoses for children with learning disabilities or problems.  However, the instances of this diagnosis have skyrocketed in recent years, and now it is one of the most common labels teachers, clinical psychologists and other educational professionals use.

My concern as a behavioural optometrist is that no one actually knows what anyone else is talking about because the definition of dyslexia is universally so broad these days!  This is a far cry from the original understanding of the term dyslexia.

What Does Dyslexia Mean?

Interest in people with reading difficulties probably began in 1878 with Adolph Kussmaul, a German neurologist, looking at adults with long-standing reading problems and neurological impairments.

He noticed that several of his patients could not read properly and regularly used words in the wrong order. He coined the term ‘word blindness’ to describe their difficulties.

In1887, a German ophthalmologist, Rudolf Berlin, was the first to use the word ‘dyslexia’ in place of word blindness. The condition was described as ‘dyslexia’, from the Greek meaning ‘difficulty with words’.  Again, this represented a situation where the eyes of the patient appeared to be OK, their vision appeared to be 20/20, but they had difficulty interpreting and understanding words.

There are numerous definitions of true dyslexia, such as the British Dyslexia Association’s (http://www.bdadyslexia.org.uk/) definition is as follows: “Dyslexia is a specific learning difficulty that mainly affects the development of literacy and language related skills. It is likely to be present at birth and to be life-long in its effects. It is characterised by difficulties with phonological processing, rapid naming, working memory, processing speed, and the automatic development of skills that may not match up to an individual’s other cognitive abilities.”

Essentially, a dyslexic was thought to a specific learning disability which involves the inability to process, understand and read words.

Part of the problem is that this definition overlaps potentially hundreds of similar ideas about learning, leading to a massive over-diagnosis of the condition, and a heap of confusion about the subject in general.

Can Dyslexia be Helped?

After all the labels, the real question facing parent is, "Can we help your child who has been diagnosed as dyslexic?"

I see many children who are carrying this and a number of other labels, and I love trying to find a way to see improvement using specialised lenses and therapies.  At Eye CU, we actually have a great record for helping hundreds of kids overcome the labels that have haunted their learning for years, and while I cannot claim to cure every dyslexic (and who can?), I certainly can promise some innovative and highly effective ways fo helping these children.

So the bottom line is, if your child has this or any other label you are uncomfortable with, please don't give up on them!  I believe we can have a positive impact on most children who are struggling in their learning, reading and writing, so click below and find out if your child is suitable...

CLICK TO LEARN HOW WE CAN HELP YOUR CHILD

https://eyecuoptometrist.com.au/children-learning-disabilities/dyslexia-and-other-labels/

[visiontherapy]

Spiritual Success 6- Shining and Sharing Your Faith

Shining and sharing your faith is an important part of becoming a spiritual success. And we have seen that the steps involve reading the Bible daily, praying constantly, fellowshipping at the right church, giving of yourself and your money, and now the final step in becoming a true spiritual success is shining and sharing your faith.

WE ARE CHRIST’S BILLBOARDS

 As you drive along the motorway you see billboards, and they are designed to capture your attention. They are easily seen, and often have a slogan in them that intrigues, shocks or otherwise makes you look.

Most people in our nation will never enter a church building apart from maybe a wedding or funeral. They will never read the Bible. You and I are the only Bible they will ever see, the only contact with a church they will ever experience.

 Romans 10:14-15 (ESV Strong's)

How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching? And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, “How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!”

 You are the billboard, you are the one who is sent and you sharing your faith, church, not the pastor, not the guy with evangelism as their spiritual gift, you and I are the ones to show Jesus and preach the good news to them!

 Spiritually successful Christians make others look and you are constantly sharing your faith, even if they themselves are quiet and unassuming.

 And remember, kindness, love, respect, miracles, signs and wonders, all of these are links in the chain of salvation, but none of them actually save people.

 Ten million signs and wonders would not make this world turn to Christ, because belief is a choice. Ultimately people choose to either accept Christ, or reject Him. You’re responsible in sharing your faith, but you are not responsible for the decision they make.

  WE ARE ALL CALLED TO SHINE

 John Stott said, “We should not ask, “What is wrong with the world?” for that diagnosis has already been given. Rather, we should ask, “What has happened to the salt and light?”

 Matthew 5:13-16 (ESV Strong's)

“You are the salt of the earth, but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled under people's feet.

“You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.

 Every one of us is called to shine for Jesus, to be salt and light to a world that is a mess. Whether you fancy yourself as an evangelist, whether you have that gift or not, sharing your faith starts with you shining for Jesus. Very often it’s what you do rather than what you say that is the most important thing in reaching out to others.

 Uncle Erick story… On his way to church in his Sunday suit and saw a neighbour digging out his grease trap. He went home, changed into his overalls, skipped church and got down and dirty and smelly in the hole with the man… a few weeks later that man came to Christ.

 If you are not living a life they respect, why should they bother to listen to you?  If you’re gossiping, exploding in anger, manipulating people or holding grudges, your words carry little power. If they see you as honest, stable and kind, someone with their life together, they will listen to you, I promise you! Especially if their life is a mess.

 But don’t think you need to be a stellar Christian to share your faith. I’ve seen drug addicts lead other drug addicts to the Lord. You don’t have to be perfect to shine, but you cannot influence others for Christ if you do not have the right to speak into their life. When they see a change in your life, you earn that right.

 And the reality is, you need to be sharing your faith as much as they need to be hearing about it? Shining for Jesus builds builds upon your credibility as a person, but you need to couple shining with something else… sharing your faith, or speaking about Jesus.

 Check Dr Billy Graham being interviewed by Woody Allen on out Facebook page…

 https://www.facebook.com/ignitechristianchurch

  DON’T BE THE DEAD SEA

 If you are alive in Christ you should be sharing your faith.

 The Dead Sea in Israel is the lowest point on earth, more than 400m below sea level. It is renowned as being deadly because of the lethally high salt content. Why is it so poisonous? The river Jordan flows into it, but nothing flows out, that’s why it is dead. And so many Christians are like that… we get plenty of teaching, tons of input but give nothing back.

 Greg Laurie said, “Input without output is hazardous to our faith.” We become like the Dead Sea.

 2 Timothy 2:15 (ESV Strong's)

Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth.

 If you are getting good teaching, if you are growing in Christ reading His Word, start using it, start handling the Word of truth correctly. Let God’s truth flow through you to others, don’t be a typical Christian and stagnate!

 SHARING YOUR FAITH EFFECTIVELY

 I would like to run a seminar to detail how to effectively share your faith. Please don’t be put off by this, it is a very simple thing. The gospel is simple, not complicated. It is just one beggar telling another beggar where to find food.

 1 Corinthians 1:18 (ESV Strong's)

For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.

 Sharing your faith should be natural and reflect our relationship with Christ. I don’t want to Bible bash people, I don’t want to offend them or manipulate them into a decision they are not actually making. Jesus made you the way you are so that you can gently and naturally share your faith in a way that sits right with your personality.

 So what are the steps to sharing your faith effectively, even for a non evangelist?

  1.      CONNECT WITH PEOPLE

 People don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care. I’ve been involved in all kinds of evangelism around the world, and have traveled with Dr Bill Newman across the globe, but he would tell you that the mass evangelism campaigns we have are just a platform for personal evangelism.

 Romans 12:15-16 (ESV Strong's)

Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep. Live in harmony with one another. Do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly. Never be wise in your own sight.

 Aussies hate arrogance, so don’t be superior, don’t be self absorbed and don’t preach at them. Step one is to just connect with people, where they are at.

 Brett plays in a band and often tells people about his faith in the club where they are playing. Some of you mums share with other mums at school. Glen shares Jesus from his Harley. Some of you builders talk to tradies on the building site. I often talk to people who come for an eye test and get the gospel as well. Last week I spent half an hour sharing my faith with one of my staff.

 Whenever you meet people, the first step is to connect with them, and love them with gentleness and respect.  Don’t Bible bash them, take the time to talk to them, connect with them, listen to them about their life and their struggles…

 1 Peter 3:15 (ESV Strong's)

but in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect,

 If I meet a salesman who pitches vigorously in my face… I feel disrespected. If I meet someone I can trust, someone who listens and seems to care about me, I am more inclined to respond positively.

  2.      KNOW THE WORD

 When Peter preached the first sermon in Acts 2, he quoted Scripture. Now you don’t have to quote verse and reference, but you ought to have enough of the Word in your life so the Lord can quicken it to your heart as you need it sharing your faith.

 Artists know their brushes, builders know their tools, musicians know their instruments, so you should know your tools. Your tool is the sword of the Spirit, the Word of God, and God promises this…

 Isaiah 55:11

So shall my word be that goes out from my mouth; it shall not return to me empty,

but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it.

 I have memorised, learned and studied the Bible, and so as I speak to people in I find verses popping into my head, quickened to my spirit as the bible calls it.

 Hebrews 4:12 (ESV Strong's)

For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.

 The Word of God is living and active, and it penetrates people’s hearts, and divides or separates good from evil, right from wrong, sin from righteousness. That verse says it discerns, which in Greek means judges, the thoughts and intentions of their heart, which is very handy when sharing your faith.

 Using Scripture as you talk to others sharing your faith penetrates more than the best of your words or your fine sounding arguments.

 You can not argue someone into Heaven, only the Holy Spirit breaks the yoke, and only the Holy Spirit can save a soul, and He uses the Word of God.

 Ask the Gideon’s, who have countless testimonies of people coming to Christ just by reading a bible in a hotel room or prison cell.

 Salvation is a spiritual act. You may feel that people need convincing, but behind it all there are demons and principalities that need to be overcome, and your words do not cut it. The sword of the Spirit is the Word of God, and if you don’t know the Word, when sharing your faith you are fighting with bare hands with your sword still in its scabbard!

  3.      BE CHRIST CENTRED AND CLEAR

 There are so many issues people talk about, and you need godly opinions, but don’t get diverted, keep the main thing the main thing. You will not win people to Christ arguing about same sex marriage, creation science or the Shroud of Turin. Facts may be part of the journey, but they alone will not save people.

 Titus 3:9 (ESV Strong's)

But avoid foolish controversies, genealogies, dissensions, and quarrels about the law, for they are unprofitable and worthless.

 2 Timothy 2:23-24 (ESV Strong's)

Have nothing to do with foolish, ignorant controversies; you know that they breed quarrels. And the Lord's servant must not be quarrelsome but kind to everyone, able to teach, patiently enduring evil,

 If you want people to come to Jesus, talk about Jesus! You might have an opinion on various issues, but getting on Facebook and offending people about non salvation issues will not bring them to Christ. You might win the argument and send them to hell for eternity, is that a good deal?

 As you are sharing your faith you can share your testimony, you can share your experiences by all means, because a person with an experience is never at the mercy of a person with an argument.

 Why not memorise a few verses about Jesus and the gospel, like John 3:16 or Romans 5:8?

  4.      CALL THEM TO REPENTANCE

 We rarely hear about repentance these days, even sadly in gospel preaching, but for people to come to Christ they must acknowledge their need of Him.

 How can people agree to be saved when they have no concept of what they are being saved from? They might look at their life and be sorry for what they’ve done, but that’s not the same as repentance.

 Remorse is being sorry. But repentance is being sorry enough to change.

 2 Corinthians 7:10 (ESV Strong's)

For godly grief produces a repentance that leads to salvation without regret, whereas worldly grief produces death.

 People are generally sorry not for what they have done, but they are sorry for being caught or suffering the consequences.

 In our modern society, we have a huge tendency to pass blame for our bad behaviour or decisions.  We abdicate responsibility, we blame others, we always have.  Adam blamed Eve, Eve blamed the snake, and the snake didn’t have a leg to stand on!

 So often today we excuse bad behaviour because we’ve convinced ourselves it is someone else’s fault. I only did this because you did that to me. My sin is because of my parents, my partner, my upbringing, my circle of friends, my church, my job and anyone else… except me!

 Here’s the top 7 ridiculous lawsuits won, all from the US…

 I tripped over my own toddler in your furniture store and broke my ankle… $750,000

I spilled hot coffee on my lap and burned myself… $2.5m

I locked myself in your garage while robbing your house and could not get out because you were on vacation… $500,000

Your chained up beagle bit me after I climbed your fence and fired pellets at him… $14,500

I slipped on the soft drink I threw at my boyfriend in your restaurant and broke my tailbone… $113,500

I burned myself on an uninsulated wire while trespassing on your property… $24m

Red bull didn’t give me wings… $13m

 Listen, regardless of upbringing, relationships, friends  and the tough life you’ve been dished, at some point if you want to change your life you need to acknowledge your guilt, and step up to take responsibility for your decisions.

 Ezekiel 18:20 (ESV Strong's)

The soul who sins shall die. The son shall not suffer for the iniquity of the father, nor the father suffer for the iniquity of the son. The righteousness of the righteous shall be upon himself, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon himself.

 In other words, man up and take responsibility for what you’ve done or become!

 And so it is with the gospel… when people have the revelation that they are sinners, destined for hell, but that Jesus paid the price for them and died in their place, then they are truly ready to receive Christ.

 And we need to understand that too. People out there are lost. We call them sinners, unchurched, unbelievers, non-Christians, but the reality is that they are lost. If they die tonight, they face judgment and eternity in hell, so you need to find the best way to reveal that fact to them when sharing your faith.

 5.      ASK THE QUESTION WHEN SHARING YOUR FAITH …

  If you talk to someone about the Lord, if you share you faith and don’t ask a question, it’s like a preacher who preaches well but never asks for a response. At Ignite that doesn’t happen, because I always preach to a verdict, to a response. It’s like a salesman, who does the greatest pitch ever then fails to close the sale by simply asking, “Do you want to buy it?”

 I will often ask people to pray to ask Jesus into their lives in church. Often no one responds. I’m not embarrassed. It’s God’s problem, not mine, I just need to keep faithfully asking as I feel led.

 So don’t be afraid, just ask and let God be God. We are responsible to ask, but we are not responsible for their reply to that question. Peter said,

 Romans 10:9-10 (ESV Strong's)

because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved.

 Peter spelled out exactly how to be saved, and challenged the crowd, and 3,000 came to Christ that day. Be bold, be courageous and just ask. The worst that can happen is that they say no or not right now. The best is that they accept Christ and live with Him for eternity!

 BE A LINK IN A CHAIN

 When people come to Jesus it is usually a long and convoluted journey. Long before they meet you or anyone else, the Holy Spirit has been working in their life, preparing the soil for a harvest of salvation. You might be the first Christian they have ever talked to, you might be one of many in their journey, or you may have the privilege of leading them right through for the Lord.

 1 Corinthians 3:6-7 (ESV Strong's)

I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth. So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth.

 In the chain of their salvation you could be the first link in the chain, the middle link or the last link.. Just don’t be the missing link!

 You do not have to force every person you talk to into making a decision to receive Christ on the spot.  Just be faithful, take them a little further on the journey, as far as they are prepared to go, and believe the Lord to complete the rest.

 You cannot save them, they have to make the decision, and God’s grace is there for them…

 Ephesians 2:8-10 (ESV Strong's)

For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.

 Arthur Stace was a quiet, unassuming ex-alcoholic who walked the streets of Sydney before dawn every day for 37 years, and never led one person to Christ personally. But every day he wrote a single word in the pavement in yellow chalk, and that word led to the conversion of thousands of people to Christ… the Word was “Eternity”.

 WHOSE LINE  IS IT ANYWAY?

 Remember, ultimately a person is responsible for their own decision to accept or reject Christ. It is the Holy Spirit’s responsibility to save souls, and our job is simply shining and sharing our faith.

 Ultimately, salvation is a choice, and it is a choice they make, not you. Only the Holy Spirit can draw people into the Kingdom, not you, so we do not need to see a result or try and make people get saved… those are the Holy Spirit’s lines, not ours.

 Our job is to shine, but to shine brightly in this dark world. Yet we must not fool ourselves or compromise our witness for Christ.

 St Francis of Assisi said, “Preach the gospel at all times, and where necessary use words.” What he is suggesting is that you let your life shine for Christ, but I believe He is wrong on the second part… you must also use words. Otherwise, they think you’re a nice person and a great guy, and Christ isn’t honoured, you are! So couple your shining with words that tell them the reasons why you act in such a noble way…

 Let me finish with 2 verses we have already used…

 Matthew 5:16 (ESV Strong's)

In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.

 1 Peter 3:15 (ESV Strong's)

but in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect,

 THE SHINING AND SHARING CHALLENGE

 If you have never asked Jesus into your heart, now is a great time to do it. The Bible says we have all sinned, the Bible says we are all guilty and are destined for hell. You don’t need to be good enough to be saved, you just need to be humble enough to accept Jesus’ free gift of salvation.

 Think of one person you know who doesn’t know Christ, and then pray for an opportunity to shine and to share. It’s not enough just to do good and shine, and it’s not enough just to tell them you’re a Christian, you need to do both!

https://ignitechurch.org.au/?p=2494

[visiontherapy]

Spiritual Success 5- Giving

Giving is the fourth key to spiritual success. We've learned that the first was reading the Bible daily, the second was prayer and the third was being part of an on fire Church like Ignite. The fourth I believe will challenge us all.

What we are talking about here is spiritual maturity, but remember age is compulsory while maturity is optional.

YOU CAN’T STAY A BABY!

I’m sure you’ll agree, babies are cute. Kids are cute too, but no one wants them to stay as kids forever.

 Hebrews 5:12-14 (ESV Strong's)

For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the basic principles of the oracles of God. You need milk, not solid food, for everyone who lives on milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, since he is a child. But solid food is for the mature, for those who have their powers of discernment trained by constant practice to distinguish good from evil.

 Just because you’ve been in and around Church for years, doesn’t mean you are mature! Many have been in the church for years but still act like children, immature and needy!

 Our granddaughter Kaileigh is a delight to us. She is little, cute, Austro-Malaysian and demanding. She orders Fiona and I around like personal slaves. At 2, it’s kind of cute. At 22 it won’t be cute at all!

 Let me point out what babies and little kids are like, and you might see some parallels with Christian maturity…

 1.      CHILDREN ARE FICKLE

 Children can flip from laughing to crying in a heartbeat. Kaileigh can be happy and excited because she is watching the Lion King, then in 1 second be a screaming, blubbering mess because she has to go home.

 Young Christians can be like this… emotional, experiencing highs and lows, changing opinions and views in a millisecond, often based on someone else’s opinion in a sermon, a book or on Facebook. They do not have the depth of knowledge of the Bible, so they are often not sure of God’s direction or standards.

 Ephesians 4:14 (ESV Strong's)

so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes.

 Immature Christians change opinions, even change churches, based on emotions or limited understanding. They are tossed around by every wind of doctrine, every cunning argument and can be at the mercy of abusive or ungodly leaders. We all start there, but we don’t want to end there!

 2.      CHILDREN LACK WILLPOWER

 When a child wants something, they want it all and they want it now! We are rediscovering that a 2 year old doesn’t do “wait” too well. Delayed gratification comes with maturity.

 And young believers are the same. They want to grow and become powerful in the Lord, they want positive answers to all their prayers, and they don’t like to wait. Discipline… that’s a dirty word to many!

 But as we have seen, anything worthwhile in the Lord, and indeed in life, takes time to grow and develop. Throw seed in the ground, and you have to wait for ages before you even see a tiny shoot, let alone fruits and flowers.

 James 5:7 (ESV Strong's)

Be patient, therefore, brothers, until the coming of the Lord. See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, being patient about it, until it receives the early and the late rains.

 The early rains gives your crop the start it needs, but the latter rains is what causes the bountiful harvest. Mature Christians are impatient, but with maturity you learn to trust God for His results, His latter rains and consequently you see a more abundant harvest.

 3.      CHILDREN DESIRE NEW AND EXCITING THINGS

 You know the drill… they see it in an ad, and all they can do is nag and talk about this new toy. Once they have it, they want some other new toy, right? It’s never ending for parents. Paw Patrol gets replaced by Lion King, then Transformers or Barbies or Dinosaurs!

 Many Christians are like this too. They find novelty very appealing. They follow the latest Christian speaker, they chase flashy miracles. We’ve had these folk pass through often, but here at Ignite they get solid teaching, not the big, flashy performance, so they move on. I know dozens of these Christians, and they never grow beyond the next experience.

 Miracles are great, moves of the Spirit are awesome, but the Word of God is what sees long, sustained growth!

 In the gospels Jesus called those who were seeking signs wicked and adulterous. When Paul went to Athens, the Athenians were described like this…

 Acts 17:21 (ESV Strong's)

Now all the Athenians and the foreigners who lived there would spend their time in nothing except telling or hearing something new.

 I’m all for God doing something new, exciting and miraculous. We’ve seen it many times here, but seeing miraculous signs does not make you spiritually mature or successful. If you seek signs and wonders more than you seek God, it makes you infantile, fickle and childish in your faith.

 4.      CHILDREN ARE SELFISH

 As cute as they are, kids are totally selfish. It’s all about them, and no one else. A baby might be cute, but their world view is the only thing in existence. And when they want milk, or food, or nothing else, they demand immediate satisfaction.

 Philippians 2:3-4 (ESV Strong's)

Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.

 Mature people think about others, and do not just demand their own way constantly. I remember a quote from the movie “Beaches”, where Bette Miller, after meeting her long lost friend again says this… “Anyway, enough about me, let’s talk about you… what do you think about me?”

 If you are, or if you have to live with a person who constantly demands their own way in everything, then this is not spiritual maturity, this is childishness!

 So if we want to be mature, if we want to grow strong and not be a selfish, childish Christian, what is this next step towards spiritual success in your life? It is one simple word… giving.

 LIVING FOR GIVING

 Now I know some of you are thinking, “Oh no! Pastor Darin needs money!” Nope, I’m don’t need money, and while we will touch on money, I’m not going to start talking about it. You have more to give than that.

 Winston Churchill said, “We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give.”

 Giving is not just about money, it’s about giving of yourself. It’s about serving, and this next step towards spiritual maturity can grow you rapidly and strongly in Christ.

 To become mature, we have to grow past the consumerism of modern Christians. So many go from church to church to get something, but few go to church thinking, “What can I give!”

 They might be seeking signs and wonders, they might be seeking a great performance, great worship, great preaching. But what they are not seeking is to become a selfless and generous giver of themselves!

 Jesus Himself was a giver, giving of Himself constantly right up to giving His life for you. But we, frankly, are takers… we want the Lord to do what we pray and command Him to do. Oh, if we could only recognise that if we put Him first, if we seek Him first, all these other things we pray and strive and fight for come our way anyway.

 Matthew 6:31-33 (ESV Strong's)

Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.

 In Philippians 2 we read that Jesus did not grasp at greatness but made Himself a servant.

 Mark 10:45 (ESV Strong's)

For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

 Serving is simply giving of yourself, and when you give of yourself freely there is a special blessing.  People often ask me why, as a successful behaviour Optometrist, why have I given up time and quite a lot of money to become a pastor. The answer is simple… God asked me, and I want with all me heart to serve Him, and consequently to serve you.

 STEPS TOWARDS GIVING OF YOURSELF

 Many times we say, “Lord, I want to give you all of my life,” but we don’t… we hold back on some areas, especially areas we think might cost too much.  So how do you start giving to the Lord?

 1.      IT STARTS WITH A CHOICE

 Joshua 24:15 (ESV Strong's)

And if it is evil in your eyes to serve the Lord, choose this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your fathers served in the region beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.”

 Joshua made a clear choice… I will serve the Lord. Giving of your time, skills and talents start with a decision… I will use these to serve the Lord.

 As a young guy I knew I had a musical talent. I could play several instruments, and sing OK. I was in a band at school, and was going to run away and go in the road with them. Until my mum found out!

 Most of my life I’ve had people compliment me on my musical skills, and ask me to join bands, etc. but early on I made the conscious decision to only use my talent to serve Jesus. This has seen me travel around the world and minister to hundreds of thousands of people. Not because I’m good, but because I made the decision to serve and give my talent to the Lord for His use.

 2.      DISCOVER YOUR GIFTS

 1 Peter 4:10 (ESV Strong's)

As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God's varied grace:

 Every one of you has gifts, even if you feel very ordinary. Spiritual gifts are freely given by God, and we can use the spiritual gifts He has given us to serve others in the church.

 Some of you will not be sure of what your spiritual gifts are. If that’s you, please put aside an hour today after our family lunch to do 201, where you can discover what your gifts are.

 3.      LEARN HOW TO GIVE

 It is one thing to know what spiritual gifts you have, but it is entirely another to move into a place where you can actually use them.

 1 Corinthians 12:7 (ESV Strong's)

To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good.

 Spiritual gifts are not given to you for your benefit, but they are given to benefit the church and those around you. One of my concerns about folks who are drawn to large churches is that they have spiritual gifts but they mostly finish up as consumers. They go to church, they sit, they enjoy a great service, but they often don’t have a chance usually to serve and give and become part of the church body.

 If you do 201, you not only discover your gifts, but you learn where you can use them to serve and bless others.

 YOU CAN FIND A PLACE TO SERVE AT IGNITE

 Ignite church has been designed to allow you to serve by doing what you love. That’s why people are so happy… we are all doing what we love, and operating in our gifting. Right from the start I made conscious decision to not put square pegs in round holes. You can fit square pegs in round hole, if you bash hard enough, but everyone gets hurt and damaged in the process!

 Ephesians 4:16 (ESV Strong's)

the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love.

 Giving of your time, energy and skills here at Ignite build the church up, but also builds you up!

 GIVING OF YOUR MONEY

 Any discussion on giving has to include this one… money!

 A man came to a pastor one time and told him he had made a commitment to tithe. He was a student and only earned $10,000 a year, so he gave $1,000.  The next year he got a great job and earned $100,000, so he gave $10,000 to the Church. His income skyrocketed and He then earned $1,000,000 in the year, so he had to tithe $100,000, so he came back to the pastor and begging him to ask God if he could be Let our of the covenant. The pastor knelt and prayed silently for a long time, and the man eventually asked, “Are you praying that God will let me out of my covenant?” “No” replied the minister, “I’m praying for God to reduce your income to the point where you are happy to tithe!”

 Amy Carmichael said, “You can give without loving, but you cannot love without giving.” A sign of a truly mature believer is a generous spirit.

 It has been well said that the last part of our body to be sanctified is the back pocket. Human beings are selfish, not generous by nature (as we see in babies and children). I love the way that this church is a generous Church. I try and be as generous as I can as often as I can, and I personally have seen the Lord perform amazing miracles of provision in my life.

 WHOSE MONEY?

 I remember going to McDonalds with one my kids and buying them a McHappy meal. It worked well… it made them McHappy! While they were eating, I reached across and pinched one of their chips, and they got really upset about it, and held the chips to their chest, telling me “These are mine!”

 We can be just like that with God. Listen to what David said about giving…

 1 Chronicles 29:14 (NIV-WS)

“But who am I, and who are my people, that we should be able to give as generously as this? Everything comes from you, and we have given you only what comes from your hand.

 Everything you and I have, everything we own, everything in our bank account comes not from our work, our job, our pension, it really comes from God. It’s all His! He bought the French fries, and then we get mad when He asks us to give a small portion of them.

 A preacher asked a farmer in his congregation, “If you had two hundred dollars, would you give one hundred of them to the Lord?”

“I would,” the farmer said.

“If you had two cows, would you give one of them to the Lord?”

“I would,” the farmer said again.

The preacher then asked, “If you had two pigs, would you give one of them to the Lord?”

“Now that isn’t fair,” said the farmer. “You know I have two pigs!”

 We rarely speak about giving and money at this church, but buckle up because we need to do it now!

 HOW TO GIVE GENEROUSLY

 So given that it is all His, how can we give generously, and how much do we need to give. Notice how I phrased that? Human beings are always looking for a bargain. What’s the least we can give to get what we want?

 Money is such an important topic that more than half the parables in the bible and over 2,000 verses concern money. But Jesus made it clear, it’s not the money God is interested in, it’s the hold it has on you. Remember the rich young ruler? They problem was not that he had money, the problem was that money had him!

 Honestly, Jesus does not need your money. He owns the cattle on a thousand hills. You are not helping Him out by giving what isn’t even yours really. As missionary Jim Elliott said, “He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep, to gain what he cannot lose.”

 The Lord is not even worried about how much you give. I mean, the widow was commended even though she gave a small amount. What He is interested in is the heart of your giving!

 Luke 12:34 (ESV Strong's)

For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.

 Your attitude to giving is a great measure of your spiritual maturity.

 2 Corinthians 9:6-7 (ESV Strong's)

The point is this: whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.

 The Greek word for cheerful is hilaros, with literally means hilarious. Ever watched a funny movie and laughed so much more our sides ache? Can you imagine giving with so much hilarity that your sides ache?

 1.      GIVING SHOULD BE A PRIORITY

 Proverbs 3:9-10 (ESV Strong's)

Honor the Lord with your wealth and with the firstfruits of all your produce;

then your barns will be filled with plenty, and your vats will be bursting with wine.

 This is a promise with a condition. We need to give to the Lord first, not last, and He promises he will bless us beyond measure. Some people say I don’t have enough money spare so cannot afford to give, but frankly I cannot afford not to give. So I recommend that, if you want to be spiritually successful and blessed in every way, including financially, don’t give out of what you have left in the week, give the first fruits. Set money aside first, then spend the rest.trust me it works!

 2.      GIVING SHOULD BE SACRIFICIAL

 God doesn’t need or want your tips. Thanks God, you did a great job, here’s a tip! Again, He is not interested in your money. He is looking at your heart, the spirit behind your giving.

 King David wanted to sacrifice to the Lord, and another guys offered to give him all he needed.

 2 Samuel 24:24 (ESV Strong's)

But the king said to Araunah, “No, but I will buy it from you for a price. I will not offer burnt offerings to the Lord my God that cost me nothing.” So David bought the threshing floor and the oxen for fifty shekels of silver.

 David wanted to give sacrificially, because He knew God was looking at his heart. In the same way, Jesus commended the widow in Luke 21 even though she gave only a small amount, because

 Luke 21:4 (ESV Strong's)

they all contributed out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty put in all she had to live on.”

 Sacrificial giving makes God sit up and take notice! He loves it, because it shows a devoted heart!

 3.      GIVING SHOULD BE INVESTING

 You can give to the Salvos, you can give to Lily House. You can give to a thousand causes, so why give to the church? I believe that Ignite is good soil, a great place to invest your giving…

 Luke 8:15 (ESV Strong's)

As for that in the good soil, they are those who, hearing the word, hold it fast in an honest and good heart, and bear fruit with patience.

 When I give I view it as an act of worship, but also as an investment. I expect a return. Honestly, I’m not worried about more money coming to me, I expect a return in souls, in lives turned around, homes restored, believers set on fire for Jesus! I could give anywhere, but here, I believe, is a good return on what I give.

 As a pastor, I am paid far less than any other pastor I know. Everyone who works here is paid far less than they are worth, but we are happy to do this because we do it as unto the Lord. We don’t blow money on big flashy buildings. Yes, we may have to expand, but we are not going to spend lavishly but frugally. We are going to invest in reaching the community, kids church and anything we can that blesses the Lord.

 4.      GIVING SHOULD BE TRUSTING

 When you give, of your time, gifts or money, are you Tipping, tithing or trusting? Do you tip God a few dollars in when God has been good to you that week? Are you stuck in a legalistic thing where you fearfully give 10% worried that God’s blessing will leave you if you don’t? Or are you trusting, gifting generously wherever you can, whenever you can as the Lord directs?

 Personally,I don’t give 10%. That’s the basic, minimal requirement. I choose to give more than the basic tithe, and I give generously at every point I can. And the Lord keeps bringing more and more money to us, because He sees my heart.

 I don’t give to get… that’s not the right heart! Fiona and I made a decision years ago to just give and give and give, and let the Lord sort out what comes our way. I believe and generous spirit is the heart God wants to see.

 He sees your heart too… but what does He see. Does He see a generous giver, does He see someone who gives sacrificially of their money, time and talents? Or does he see a selfish person, giving the bare minimum to try and bargain with God for the maximum blessing?

 Proverbs 11:24-25 (ESV Strong's)

One gives freely, yet grows all the richer;

another withholds what he should give, and only suffers want.

Whoever brings blessing will be enriched,

and one who waters will himself be watered.

 ARE YOU READY TO TRUST GOD?

 Are you ready to trust God as you give Him your Life, your time, your gifts and talents and your money?

 Let me leave you with a wonderful Biblical promise and threat… This speaks to all of us. It was originally given to the people of Israel who were giving not their best to God, but the sick, the lame , the dying, the worst of their flocks to God as an offering.

 Malachi 3:8-11 (ESV Strong's)

Will man rob God? Yet you are robbing me. But you say, ‘How have we robbed you?’ In your tithes and contributions. You are cursed with a curse, for you are robbing me, the whole nation of you. Bring the full tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. And thereby put me to the test, says the Lord of hosts, if I will not open the windows of heaven for you and pour down for you a blessing until there is no more need. I will rebuke the devourer for you, so that it will not destroy the fruits of your soil, and your vine in the field shall not fail to bear, says the Lord of hosts.

 A generous spirit is a sign of spiritual success. If think Ignite is good soil, you can trust God as you give here, so please do. If you want to give of your time and spiritual gifts, come and do 201 today. You may not think you have much to give, but give the loaves and fishes of your life to Jesus and watch Him multiply them!

 Ps David Yonggi Cho’s Church was on the point of bankruptcy and they called a prayer meeting .  Let me read from his account…

 Seeing that only a miraculous intervention of God would deliver us from a catastrophe, I joined the intercessors at Prayer Mountain. One evening while we were meeting to pray on the ground floor of our unfinished church, several hundred joined me in prayer. An old woman walked slowly in my direction. As she approached the platform, I noticed that tears were filling her eyes. She bowed and said, “Pastor, I want to give these items to you so that you may sell them for a few pennies to help with our building fund.”

I looked down, and in her hands were an old rice bowl and a pair of chopsticks. I said to her, “Sister, I can’t take these necessities from you!”

“But, Pastor, I am an old woman. I have nothing of value to give to my Lord; yet, Jesus has graciously saved me. These items are the only things in the world I possess!” she exclaimed, tears now flowing freely down her wrinkled cheeks. “You must let me give these to Jesus. I can place my rice on old newspapers, and I can use my hands to feed myself. I know that I will die soon, so I don’t want to meet Jesus without giving Him something on this earth.” As she finished speaking, everyone there began to weep openly. The Holy Spirit’s presence filled the place, and we all began to pray in the Spirit.

A businessman in the back of the group was deeply moved and said, “Pastor Cho, I want to buy that rice bowl and chopsticks for one thousand dollars!” With that, everyone started to pledge their possessions. My wife and I sold our small home and gave the money to the church.  This spirit of giving saved us from financial ruin.

 Some of you here feel like you have little to offer the Lord. Some have served before and been hurt.

https://ignitechurch.org.au/?p=2439

[visiontherapy]

Why Vision Therapy in your home ought to be exciting

Children along with finding out handicaps may be greatly aided through performing sight treatment at home.  As a parent, you have the capacity to perform it at any kind of hr of the day or even night when you decide on, without having to make a particular time to take a trip to the optometrist.  You may additionally do that in the convenience from your very own property, without sessions and also no travel important! However, it could be actually a nightmare to make an effort as well as carry out these Vision Therapy in your home procedures along with a kid at home!  Typical eye workouts are actually long, dull as well as recurring, leading to a property from youngsters to react badly as well as snap the well-meaning parents. Exactly what is actually the absent component when you seek vision therapy at house! .?. !? That is actually the aspect from fun!

Some Vision Therapy in the home Is actually Not Fun!

For years I have seen the effectiveness of Vision Therapy at Home as a behavioral optometrist, but getting parents and children to do the exercises has always been a chore.  Doing them myself with my daughter at home underlined how boring, dull, uncomfortable and monotonous the techniques actually were!  She loathed them, and me I might add, and we fought to get absolutely nowhere! Sound familiar?  What I was missing was the element of having fun! So I went back to the drawing board and started again, realizing this time that I needed to inject an element of fun into the Vision Therapy at Home.  If you make something fun a child will try harder and do better, and you might have enthusiasm and results instead of a screaming match!

My Vision Therapy at Home is Fun!

To illustrate this, let me explain how I took a dull exercise which involved circling numbers in the right order placed across a page.  A simple task but not an inspiring one, until I added some fun... The numbers are replaced by numbered flies, and the task involves circling each fly 3 times to “swat it”.  Then we add a stopwatch, and the child is not only swatting flies but racing the clock to beat his best time as well. Same exercises, but swatting flies is so much more fun and interesting than circling numbers, especially to a child! This is just one example of many where adding fun to Vision Therapy at Home makes things interesting and actually causes us to have better outcomes and results as well.  Given that I am basically a child who never grew up, it means that I am a slightly crazy optometrist who gets super results, sort of like the Wiggles of behavioural optometry if you will!  But my aim was to get kids doing the vision therapy at home effectively, and adding fun makes the tasks far more effective. It is true that some vision therapy at home exercises are dull and cannot be significantly made fun, but I try and balance any dull, strenuous therapies with some fun activities each week.  If the child knows that a fun exercise is coming they will often see the boring one off in order to get to the fun one, and so even the boring ones are being performed effectively.

Vision Therapy at Home can be Effective

Vision Therapy at Home can be effective if done correctly, and can dramatically improve children's reading, writing, and spelling.  However, it can just as easily turn into all-out war at home, and this is the main reason for parents stopping what could be the very tool they are seeking to help their child! By keeping things fun and turning exercises over every 2 weeks, we can increase compliance and have a positive effect on learning in most cases.  Making things fun means increasing compliance, enjoying the time together and seeing better results, so if you want fun and effective vision therapy at home let me know! Adding the element of fun to your vision therapy at home could be the answer to your child’s learning disabilities.

Vision Therapy At Home