Archive for 'Growth'

What is going on at Willow? Part 1

I first heard about the REVEAL study last August while attending the Leadership Summit at my church which is a satellite location for the conference.  The news of the study, however, seems to keep being discussed as if it were brand new.  In fact, a couple weeks ago the topic came up in class, and [...]

Full Story

Biblical Counseling

I just finished up the lecture time for my Gender, marriage, and sex class a little while ago.  8 am to 8 pm on Tuesday, 8 am to 5:30 pm on Wed, and 8 am to 8 pm tonight with lunch and supper breaks as well.  Long days, but I never got bored. 
This was my [...]

Full Story

Warning Signs of Sin

One of the topics we discussed today was the purity of marriage.  This topic lead to a brief discussion on internet pornography.  Dr. Scott shared that he keeps on guard and watches 3 signs that almost always lead to sin. These signs are:
Isolation – Desire – Means (Provisions)
If you are alone or isolated with a [...]

Full Story

Church Discipline

We just began studying First Corinthians in my small group.  We worked through the first six chapters this week.  In chapter five, Paul deals with a report he has received that indicates that a man “has his father’s wife” within the Corinthian church.  Paul rebukes the people within the church for not dealing with the [...]

Full Story

Happy Birthday Sarah

Three years old today!  Wow!  It only seems like a couple weeks ago that you were about 6 pounds.  Now you run, jump, sing, and yell(mostly at your sissy). 
Tomarrrrr we will have your Elmo birthday party with elmo birthday cake.
Happy Birthday
I love you

Full Story

God Goggles

God Goggles is a concept that was developed by Jess Chambers.  Today, she told me to keep blogging so I thought I would go ahead and share some of her wisdom. 
I am sure that most of you have heard of beer goggles, but I bet few of you have heard of God goggles.  Obviously beer goggles refers to [...]

Full Story

Fellowship or Ministry?

Take a second and think about some of the people in your life.  As you reflect on them think about which ones build you up and which ones drain or just annoy you.  I would guess that all of us have both kinds of people in our lives.  The people that build you up are [...]

Full Story

Healthy Leaders Build Community

“Spiritual leaders who are fairly intact in their self-esteem can build community.  They breed health in their relationships because they themselves possess psychological health.  The opposite is also true; dysfunction breeds dysfunction.”
Quote from A Work of Heart written by Reggie McNeal.
I read the above quote yesterday and I think it is spot on.  I know that as I [...]

Full Story

The Connecting Conversation

by Bill Blair 
How many people do you know who are struggling with something or someone in their life? 
I am sure if you think about for a few seconds you will begin to come up with a laundry list of people who could use some help or some advice.  There is probably one guy or girl dating [...]

Full Story

What is relevance?

Below is a great article on relevance by the Blogstar, Chad Jarnagin.  He questions whether we should try to be relevant or whether the key is to not be irrelevant.  I love his line about being “raw and real.”  I think that is the key.  Being “raw and real”, being authentic is what makes you [...]

Full Story
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