Discouragement is a deadly disease that’s not only universal, but also highly contagious. Have you ever noticed that when you hang around with someone who’s discouraged, you get discouraged yourself? But discouragement is also curable! Veteran Dodger Bill Russell once said, “Winners – pros – never give up in a slump. They…
One of the most gifted writers of our day is Max Lucado. He has churned out book after book with creativity and professionalism. For a while, I read all that he wrote, but eventually I could not keep up with his pace. Of the books I’ve read, my favorite is The Applause of Heaven. …
When Dr. Tom Rainer served as Dean of the Billy Graham School at Southern Seminary in Louisville, he ran a consulting company that helped churches across America. In his consultations, he discovered that the overwhelming majority of the churches needed marked improvement in the area of assimilation. As a result,…
Yesterday, I shared part of an article from David Francis, LifeWay Director of Sunday School. In the article he takes a humorous approach to the topic of assimilation by talking about ways to make guests feel unwelcome. Instead of discussing ways to attract and keep guests, he lists ways to make…
I recently read the an article from David Francis, LifeWay Director of Sunday School. In the article he took a reverse approach to the topic at hand. Instead of talking about ways to make guests feel welcome, he listed ways to make guests feel unwelcome and not return to the…
https://youtu.be/DIS0IjLIjDc As far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us.” Psalm 103:12 (NIV) One of the latest songs from Casting Crowns entitled, East to West, continues to remind me why we should continually strive to live holy lives that are pleasing…
When I was a young man in my twenties, I decided to take up running. I discovered that I not only loved the sport, but I was a halfway decent runner. I built up my endurance to the point that I averaged about 40-50 miles of running each week. I…
This evening I’m sitting in a great little espresso bar in Black Mountain, North Carolina called Perks. The next time you’re in town, stop by, give a shoutout to Peter (the owner), and have a coffee or smoothie in a really cool environment surrounded by the Black Mountain Range. While…
This week I am teaching at Ridgecrest National Conference Center as a part of LifeWay’s Discipleship Week. Pictured here is Dennis Rogers, Discipleship & Family Ministries’ Specialist from the Georgia Baptist Convention. This week, in the main discipleship session, we are taking a close look at a newly published LifeWay tool,…
Recently, I’ve developed a casual interest in a variety of television cooking shows. Ironically, I can’t cook much of anything–I specialize in eating. Oh, I can serve a mean peanut butter and jelly sandwich along with a decent pot of coffee, but that’s about it. I’m not sure why I…
Two encounters are critical. First, the leader encounters God in His Word and is changed. Second, the leader guides the group to have a life-changing encounter.
In John 13:34-35, three times Jesus said, “Love one another.” Your group is the ideal place to practice and launch the kind of love for one another that shows the world that we are His disciples.