Comedian Jim Gaffigan has a bit about taking his family to Disney World in his special Mr. Universe. He compares Disney World in July to standing in line on the surface of the sun. “Remember when you were a kid and you would go on vacation and go, ‘why is dad always in a bad mood? Now I understand.’” It’s funny because it’s true. Vacation isn’t always what it appears to be. Continue reading “Left to Our Own Devices: Power Down”
Left to Our Own Distractions
When Vietnamese game developer, Dong Nguyen released the smartphone game Flappy Bird he had no idea how immensely successful the game would become. He also hadn’t predicted that less than a year later, with Flappy Bird still enjoying immense popularity, he would take the game down.
4 Ways to Have Moving Worship
Worshipping God requires movement. I don’t mean swaying and snapping your fingers (acceptable church of Christ dancing). Moving worship is not just about expressiveness it is about God and the formation of our lives into the likeness of Jesus. I believe worship should be spirited and emotive but more than that it must be spiritual. This involves moving with the Spirit. Here are four movements required for spiritual, Christ-centered, life-changing worship. Continue reading “4 Ways to Have Moving Worship”
Eating and Drinking: The Deeper Way of Life
Christ died for the life of the world. For what “life of the world” did he die? Did he only die for the life of the church adherent, for the life of the Sunday school attender and weekend worshipper? Where do we spend most of life? At work, at home, at the church building? If the latter is our life then eating and drinking is irrelevant. If you were to reduce eating and drinking to its bare essential utilitarian nature then it is merely for energy and good health. Eating food keeps me alive but it is not life giving in the way that life is given as gift of enjoyment for the glory of God. The utilitarian view is a drab interpretation of eating and drinking. Continue reading “Eating and Drinking: The Deeper Way of Life”
[hungry?] // FAST21
Sign-up for FAST21 to take part in a life changing experience with God. Beginning January 1st and ending on January 22nd each day you will receive a scripture and prayer guide to couple with your fast.
What might change in 2017 if you chose to dedicate the first part of the year to God with fasting and prayer?
How do I want to live so I can be who I want to be?
How do I want to live so I can be who I want to be? – Ruth Haley Barton
I was somewhat familiar with the concept of having a rule of life. Yet, I first desired to learn more about this rhythm for spiritual formation when I listened to a theologian describe a weekly schedule he shared with his wife at my first spiritual formation retreat.
What he described was enough to wet my appetite.
Continue reading “How do I want to live so I can be who I want to be?”
“I’m Busy” is Not a Badge of Honor
Wayne Muller says, in his book Sabbath, “If we do not allow for a rhythm of rest in our overly busy lives, illness becomes our Sabbath – our pneumonia, our cancer, our heart attack, our accidents create Sabbath for us.”
Where am I Going? And How to Know if God is Leading
Ruth Haley Barton opens chapter seven of her book Sacred Rhythms with a quote by Ernest Larkin. He says, “Discernment in its fullness takes a practiced heart, fine-tuned to hear the word of God and the single-mindedness to follow that word in love. It is truly a gift from God, but not one dropped from the skies fully formed. It is a gift cultivated by a prayerful life and the search for self-knowledge.”
Continue reading “Where am I Going? And How to Know if God is Leading”
How the Holy Spirit Changes Your Story (Guest Post)
Today’s guest post is from Brock Paulk.
I’ve always thought I was short.
I was typically the shortest kid in my class throughout grade school. I was so short that eventually my mom started pointing out successful and well-adjusted, short adults just in case I was starting to panic.
In high school, my growth spurt finally hit and, by the time I finished high school, I had grown over a foot and reached the height I am today – which is about 5 feet 9.5 inches.
Even so, I still considered myself short. Continue reading “How the Holy Spirit Changes Your Story (Guest Post)”
5 Ways to Grow Your Faith (Guest Post)
There’s a universal truth in this world God has created: Healthy things grow. Every green tree buds in the spring. Every fresh flower opens it’s petals. Every little bird learns to spread its wings and fly. Healthy things grow. We see it in all of nature around us. It’s by God’s design and by Gods desire…and it begs the question, “Are you growing?”
Paul once prayed this for the believers in Ephesus, “I pray for you constantly, asking God, the glorious Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, to give you spiritual wisdom and insight so that you might grow in your knowledge of God.” Ephesians 1.16-17