Christian Living

Being Sick And Not Knowing It, And Why We Let It Happen At Church

Chris

A week ago I followed my wife’s advice and went to the emergency room. I was battling my regular winter cold, feeling sick and tired of being sick and tired. That was last Tuesday. She had tried to get me to go on Friday. It was a cold with a cough. I get it every year. It was no big deal. Or so I thought.

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After a round of tests and x-rays, I sat in an exam room waiting for the doctor, a woman from our church. The diagnosis was pneumonia. Fluid had built up in my lung so that it almost couldn’t take in any air. Oh, and the other lung had started to fill up as well. Double pneumonia. As I said on Facebook, “When I win, I win BIG.”

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Book Reviews

Book Brief: “Outlive Your Life” by Max Lucado

Chris

What will you be remembered for in life? Will it be the hours you worked? The number of proposals or presentations you made at work? The way you kept your lawn or the cleanliness of your house? Maybe it’s your bowling score or your ability to quote baseball statistics. How many of these things will really outlast your physical life?

“Outlive Your Life” begins with an amazing parable of a man whose life impacted a small culture. His impact outlasted him, and served as his legacy.

With our lives we have the ability to impact our world, our communities, our churches, our world. We have opportunities laid before us each and every day. Some of these require a lot of effort, others just require us to step into what God has prepared for us. But leaving a legacy doesn’t mean making a name for ourselves. We have to watch out that we are not seeking to promote ourselves instead of seeking to serve God.

Max is also sure to remind us that we are not just to be out being busy, doing activity and leaving it there. In the chapter, Pray First; Pray Most, he reminds us about the special promises regarding prayer.

The message of this book is one I have echoed myself over the years. As usual, Max is always on point, full of stories and anecdotes. If you enjoy Max’s work, you will not be disappointed. It is an encouragement for the average Christian to make an impact on many realms of society, each in our unique way.

Book Reviews, Christian Living

New FREE Resource: “Tainted”

Chris

I am excited to announce our newest free resource! It is a PDF e-book entitled, “Tainted: Recognizing, Understanding and Repairing the Filters of Life.”

Since I began developing this material, I have discovered that you can apply the core concept of “Tainted” – the concept of filters – to virtually every realm of your life. From your relationships to your career to your understanding of God, filters affect us.

Discover the possibilities, both positive and negative, as you read “Tainted.” It is a FREE Adobe PDF file here on our site.

Christian Living

Aftermath: A new album and new perspective on the Christian life

Chris

"Aftermath", the new album from Hillsong United, is now available. I have personally watched and waited since Christmas for this album. Still, you don’t really know what to expect when you go from a Live recording (their last one was Across the Earth/Tear Down the Walls) to a Studio recording. It is always a bit different. And I was also intrigued by the album title.

Joel Houston talks about the new album and the journey that it was creating it. He also gives an explanation for the "Aftermath" title. I’ve added that video below, along with a couple of thoughts triggered by it.

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Ministry

Bringing the People of Your Church to “The Table”

Chris

There is a great debate raging over the role of Social Media in the church and ministry. I believe that is becomes increasingly more important as the target age for your ministry lowers. However, the number of churchgoers using the internet and its social systems continues to rise.

Today I stumbled upon a new system, made for churches, that integrates other social apps while maintaining a specific connection point for the local church. It is called The Table. From their website: “The Table Project is not about technology. It is not about creating a virtual church. It’s about using the tools around us to unite the Body of Christ.”

Ministry

Unlocking Your Heart For A New Place Of Ministry

Chris

When was the last time you moved in ministry? Five years? A year? A month? We as ministers are not immune to the seasonal changes in life that move us from one place of service to another.

Statistically, a pastor’s tenure is 3 years (Parsonage.org). At times the circumstances of change are the realization of years of preparation or the fulfillment of a lifelong dream, while others can be difficult personally and emotionally. Unfortunately, we are able to tell fewer stories of celebration than we can of hurt.

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