In a recent conversation with faith leaders from around the country and terrific illustration was used! I have to apologize that I can’t remember who said it but wow this has been on my mind since I heard it. I’m not 100% sure if this is how it’s actually done but the premise of the illustration was built around training a professional chess player on how to more successfully play the game.
Continue readingTag: worship (Page 3 of 4)
It’s no secret things in life are a tad topsy turvy right now. What once was no longer is. What never was now is the reality. It’s uncomfortable to say the least. It’s inconvenient to be certain. And if we’re being honest, times are a tad scary right now. If you listen to the reports coming out in any regularity, then you’ve undoubtedly heard the reference to an invisible enemy. When we feel attacked by enemies we can see and even those we can’t see it’s a time for us to reevaluate our focus and our priorities.
Continue readingWe put the word at the end of our prayers. We sometimes say it when we agree with what the pastor says. We like to use the word as a way of agreeing with something someone says. We use it in religious contexts and even some secular ones as well. But what does it mean? And why is it so important?
Continue readingAs we journey closer to that joy-filled morning, we pause and reflect on what this new family went through to give us something to celebrate. This week’s Music Monday is another favorite of many and has undoubtedly been sung in churches around the world as part of their Christmas celebrations. But what do the words mean? Where was Jesus born and why was he born there?
Continue readingLife is a funny thing isn’t it? One day you’re on top of the world and everyone knows who you are and they’re singing your praises (well not really but you get the idea) – then the next day it seems like you’re invisible! One day everything is right and the next nothing goes right at all! How does that happen? How is it possible that we can go from joyful to distraught in the blink of an eye? How can we move from the best day of our lives, when our names are in lights to the bottom of the barrel and ignored by the masses?
Continue readingAs winter gives way to the beauty and new birth that spring offers, it’s good to pause and reflect on the wonders of the world around us. This week’s MusicMonday is a song that speaks to the amazing nature of the creation that is around us. Whether you believe that God created the earth and six calendar days and rested on the seventh or believe something different, no one can deny that the world around us speaks to a beauty unlike any other.
Continue readingThis week in our what we believe series we’re taking a look at All you have to do is walk into a church just about anywhere across America and you’ll see it. What used to be row upon row of chairs or pews filled with families worshipping together has become more of a barren wilderness of empty seats. The trends are startling! Fewer and fewer people are seeing the importance and necessity of attending a weekly worship service. An individual’s average attendance has shifted from weekly to maybe once every five to six weeks. But why? What’s the reason for this trend? Continue reading
For those of you that know me well, one thing you would certainly not say is that I’m a traditional kind of guy. I don’t sit still long enough to establish traditions. I love to try new things with the intent of meeting and connecting with new people. I’m one of those blaze your own trail kind of guys. Or to quote another phrase grass doesn’t grow under my feet. Continue reading
I lift my life, lift my life up
I give it all in surrender
I lift my heart, lift my heart up
You can have it forever. Continue reading