Dwell [Fuge 2021 – NGU Recap]
I am so amazed at by what Jesus did at North Greenville University for Fuge 2021. I had the privilege of serving as Camp Pastor from July 13-17, 2021 for a life-changing week.
Why Assembly Lines Don’t Work in Church
Discipleship will never be entirely effective if we use generalized approaches on people with particular needs. Our lives are too complicated for a conveyor belt – we require intentional mechanics who discover what we specifically need to get going again and work relentlessly until that becomes a reality.
Family Formative
Once you realize that the most critical spiritual environment is the one in which we live, you will want to do everything within your power to equip the family to be who God has called them to be. How can your church be family formative?
Exchanging Envy
We live in a culture of comparison. Everywhere we turn, we are reminded of people who have more chiseled bodies, more attractive features, luxurious homes, expensive vehicles, and exquisite toys. Jealousy can ruin us.
Commandments & Compromises
God gave this first couple one commandment, and they quickly made compromises in order to break it. In all marriages, we are called to help each other fulfill God’s Word over meet our expectations.
The Destruction of Adultery
The temptation of adultery does a masterful job of highlighting the momentary pleasure while disguising the long-term pain. You must be careful to avoid a trap of falling for anyone who does not belong to you.
10 Questions to Evaluate Your Marriage’s Finances
If you are married or engaged, use these questions to unite around a critical component in marriage — finances.
5 Reasons We Neglect Discipleship
If discipleship is so simple in theory, why aren’t we doing it? Here are 5 reasons we neglect discipleship.
Taming Tempers
You don’t mean to let your temper take control. You never wanted to lash out the way you did, but you did it anyway. And you did it again. Maybe you feel like you are stuck in a cycle of regretting temperamental outbursts. It’s time to go the second mile in taming your temper.
Spiritual Resurrection
Salvation is more than mental affirmation — it is a life transformation. It is as significant as a dead person rising from the grave. Because that is what happened spiritually.
Restoring the Dignity of Work
God has designed us to use our gifts to accomplish good things for the benefit of our families and others around us. To see all people succeed, we need to restore the dignity of work in our lives and the lives of others.
Spiritually-Engaged Parents of Camp-Bound Students
Is your child going to church camp this summer? Make sure you think about your role to ensure that experience serves him or her well for a long time.
Overlooking Offenses
Two things that are guarantees in this life is that we will sin, and that we will be sinned against. While we typically want grace for our mistakes, we want payback for others. How can a Christian filter through these scenarios? It’s time to go the second mile in overlooking offenses.
Ministry Is Both Ability and Availability
We often pit ministry ability and availability as competing goals, but, in reality, they are complimentary parts of the whole. To impact people significantly, we cannot neglect either the public or the personal side of ministry.
Fruitful & Multiply
As God placed His stamp upon Adam and Eve, He intended them to spread that image throughout the world. He calls families to be fruitful and multiply through their homes.
Enjoying Your Marriage Again
Couples often lose satisfaction in their marriage because they seek happiness in other pursuits. To restore the joy in your marriage, you must intentionally celebrate the gift God has given you in your spouse.
10 Questions to Evaluate Your Marriage’s Connection
A marriage does not drift toward emotional intimacy; it requires work. Here are 10 questions for the married or the engaged to consider regarding how to evaluate your marriage’s connection.
Dwell [Fuge 2021 – Ridgecrest Recap]
Jesus showed up at Ridgecrest for Fuge 2021. I had the privilege of serving as Camp Pastor from June 19-23, 2021 for an unforgettable week. To the students and leaders that came to camp, thank you for allowing me to share God’s Word with you. I would love to stay connected with you in some way. One conviction I have …
Harnessing Hatred
We typically believe that we can spot hatred when we see it. In our minds, it is reserved for those unreasonably angry people causing conflicts with no desire for subtlety. In reality, quiet hatred can damage just as much as when it is blunt and loud.
Life-Changing Camps & Nit-Picking Parents
Parents – so you’ve sent your children off to church camp, have you? What is your expectation once they return? Discover what Jesus did in your child’s life before focusing on temporal issues.
Why Many Christians Aren’t Growing
Christian maturity should be the ambition for every single one of us, but none of us are lingering in a precisely similar situation as another in our spiritual development.
Standing Room Only in the SBC
At the Southern Baptist Convention 2021 Annual Meeting, some things were better than imagined, and some realities were worse than expected. When there’s standing room only in the SBC, I pray for a day when it’s about the most important, unifying issues.
Fighting Fear
When we were kids, we were scared of the unknown things that went bump in the night. The older we get, our fears just transition rather than disappear. We can easily find ourselves paralyzed to live the life God has called us to live due to uneasiness.
Approachable Attitudes
Those who lead in the church should always strive to portray approachable attitudes as they serve the people walking through the door. People need help, and it would help if they believed you actually want to help them.
Naked & Unashamed
God designed sexual intimacy to be experienced solely within the confines of marriage. Like all gifts from God, it is enjoyed to the fullest extent when it is guided by God’s directives.
When God Calls the Family Meeting
Our Heavenly Father loves us enough to correct us when we are in the wrong. In His discipline, He is more concerned with teaching us what we should do rather than shaming us for what we have done.
The Crazy Uncle in the SBC
For all the good that the Southern Baptist Convention does, there are those members out there embarrassing the rest of the family. After our victory for biblical inerrancy, I pray we do not lose the battle for ministry integrity.
Engaging Emotions
Each of us will either lead our emotions or be led by our emotions. When certain feelings creep in and begin to alter the way you think, speak, and act, how are you supposed to respond? Ignoring them will not make them go away.
Don’t Ruin Your Children’s Camp Once They Return Home
As summer begins, it’s that time of year for your kids to travel to camp. If you have any of your children going to a church camp or mission trip this summer, I want to warn you about something that could do significant damage to your child’s relationship with Jesus and with you.
Leave & Cleave
A marriage cannot work if someone or someones have a higher priority than the spouse. There must be a thorough yet healthy leaving of one’s initial family and a complete and eager cleaving of one’s unique spouse.
Faithful Finances
God should never be an afterthought regarding our finances and possessions. Learn from God’s Word what it means to honor Him with all that He has given to you.
What Would You Do if the World Had One Week Left
What would you do if the world had one week left? If it would change your priorities on the last week, it probably should at least change your perspective for this week.
Multiplying Mindset at Church
One of the greatest blessings is when a small group begins to feel like a family, but that is also one of the greatest dangers as well if it prohibits others from experiencing the same thing. Are we willing to sacrifice for the sake of others?
Growing Spiritually This Summer
It seems like that the more free time we have, the less disciplined we can become regarding spiritual growth. Here are 5 simple steps to help you create a plan to grow spiritually this summer.
Waypoint Recap – May 2021
We have so much to celebrate about what the Spirit is doing among the people of Rocky Creek.
Avoiding Half-Hearted Christianity
God didn’t call us to trust Him with some of our hearts because He knows we need total commitment. Discover God’s design for a life entirely entrusted to Him.
10 Questions for Becoming a Helpful Spouse
Regardless of your marriage situation or how long you have been in it, all of us could make our relationships stronger than they currently are. Here are ten questions to get you thinking as an individual or a couple to strengthen your marriage.
Hopeful Hospitality at Church
Christians should know better than anybody that no one is too far gone. We serve a God who has done the impossible time and time again. So when people come to church in dire situations, do you still believe that there is hope?
When Pastors Fail to Lead a Staff
Pastors are often so busy that they fail to address one critical area – charting the course for the rest of the ministry team. When pastors fail to lead a staff, the staff often fails to lead the church.
Helpless & Alone
God categorized the only creation made in His image as helpless and alone. Within the gift of a spouse, God intends to meet these two needs for his sole purpose.