No Substitute is Available
I am working on editing a book for a friend and at the same time listening to some music from the husband and wife team called “Poor Bishop Hooper”. I cannot recommend this more highly for a day of rest, or a day of prayer, or on a loop for your Sabbath day respite from … More Instrumental Music for a Day of Rest, a Sabbath
Originally posted on ChosenRebel's Blog:
Monday Discussion One of the great disappointments of any gathering of pastors is how much of the discussion around our tables, at our conferences, ministerials and seminars revolves around trivialities. We talk more about systems and programs, size of churches, staff hires, staff departures, grumblers and controllers, elders and…
The word “gap” only appears once in the Bible. Once. And Ezekiel 22:30 is that one time. The nation of Israel was a mess. They had turned from God. The cities had become violent and crime ridden. Immorality was rampant. Liars dominated the leadership structures in the Temple and the government. Greed rather than grace … More It Only Appears Once in the Bible
Sanctifying the Day Read Psalm 142 Over and over the Scripture, God’s testimony to His people, declares that He is our refuge. Psalm 142 is one of those places were God announces that He is a protector from those who pursue us. ref·uge /ˈrefˌyo͞oj,ˈrefˌyo͞oZH/ 1. a condition of being safe or sheltered from pursuit, … More Finding Shelter from the Enemy
It was the opening paragraph in the third chapter titled “Come to Me”. Five different biblical texts head the chapter and set the theme to be discussed. Every passage records Jesus’s invitation/command to enter into His discipleship. (Mt. 11:28, John 7:37, 6:35, 5:40, and 11:43-44). We might summarize them this way: “Come, . . . … More What Does it Mean to be Born Again?
“Paint Me a Picture” . . . is a new weekly feature of the ChosenRebel Blog. Sometimes a picture really is worth a thousand words, maybe more. Like the picture above or the one below from another angle. It looks like an artist painstakingly wove the fence with grass for as far as the eye … More Paint Me a Picture (God in a fence)
“It does not do to leave a live dragon out of your calculations,if you live near him.” J.R.R. Tolkien, The Hobbit ( Ballantine Books, 1937, 1938, and 1966 ) p. 207. This post relates to all planning but I have church planters in mind most particularly. I love church planters because of what they are … More Planning Pitfalls
It was an innocent question. I’m sitting at a pastor’s retreat acting as one of a team of four mentors seeking to encourage 15 pastors, with one exception, the oldest of whom is 50, most of which are in their 20’s or 30’s. “What will you take away from this week?” I’ve listened to a … More An Apex Predator Stalking Younger Pastors
Fall Groups forming now.