Making disciples is not a job for only well-trained theologians and pastors. Every follower of Christ can, and should make disciples, and we all have at least the basic tools necessary to do it. … Continue readingThe Right Tools For The Job
It’s easy to accumulate a lot of baggage in life, and hard to let go as we move forward. There is a cost associated with what we take with us. Carrying baggage into our calling is likely to result in burnout that we don’t see coming. … Continue readingThe Cost of Extra Baggage
What is the first thing that comes to your mind when you wake up in the morning? Even though I hit the snooze a few times and try to stay in bed longer, sleep is generally not what’s on my mind. I often wake up with a song playing in my head. Sometimes it’s an old hymn. Other times it’s a new worship song that has helped me connect my heart to God’s. God’s mercy is new every morning, no matter how I may have missed the mark and strayed from His ways the day before. Having a song of
Sometimes the answer to prayer comes while we are still praying. Daniel experienced this when Gabriel came to him while he was still in prayer. “As soon as you began to pray, a word went out…” Pray with expectancy because our God is faithful. … Continue readingDelivery Time
It’s easy to say “I’m willing to follow where ever God leads.” This is especially true when we don’t think we hear Him saying to go anywhere. We often get comfortable where we are in life, whether it be a job, house, standard of living, or even our relationship with God. In those times of comfort, it is easy to settle in and not want anything to change. Like a memory foam mattress, the world seems to conform to our own image and gives us a sense of comfort and security. The desire to remain in that place of comfort
Have you ever listened to a recording of yourself singing? Did you like what you heard? When I’ve listened to recordings of myself, I cringe and wonder if that’s really what I sound like. Even people who like the sound of their own voice tend to dislike the way their recorded voice sounds. Believe it or not, your voice does not sound different when recorded. We only perceive it that way. Timothy E. Hullar explains it this way: Air-conducted sound is transmitted from the surrounding environment through the external auditory canal, eardrum and middle ear to the cochlea, the fluid-filled
Over the past 15 years (and more if I really dig deep), I have experienced the provision of God, and I’m still learning to trust His ways and timing. As the old hymn goes, “How I’ve proved Him o’er and o’er… O for grace to trust Him more.” … Continue readingStress Wears You Down
I don’t want to fight any more. There’s too much pain already in the world. But what if life is worth dying for? Will pain turn me away from the war? Victory has been proclaimed but I’m still living from the pain. I can’t help but stare at the floor, my mind racing, pacing back and forth. I think I should have done something more. Will I ever be ready for another open door? Victory has been proclaimed but I’m still trying to stake my claim. Can we just go back to how it was before? All I wanted was
We have, all of us, a power problem, and I’ve only touched on a few of the different forms power problems can take. Still, one of the common factors found in many of our issues with power may stem from the reality that we may have evolved to the point where our technologically advanced societies simply assume that the power to do what we want to do is an inalienable right, both individually and politically. Recently I was teaching in a classroom when the power was interrupted, and we lost the use of the digital projector for my PowerPoint slides.