I just received my free copy of Primal by Mark Batterson yesterday in the mail.  My blog (the one you're reading!) was selected as one to review and post comments on the book. Besides getting a free book, I'm excited because Mark Batterson is a pastor that I've come to appreciate vicariously over the last few years.  He is the lead pastor at National Community Church in Washington D.C.  He's one of the new thought leaders for today's pastors.  I track him on Twitter and via his blog -- short of  having coffee with him, I feel like I've gotten a pretty good feel for who he is and where his heart leads.  And I like it. So, I'm looking forward to posting comments and reviews throughout the next few weeks.  If you want to get a head start, you can purchase the book directly from the publisher.

A good part of the Bible is about helping us reframe the way we look at life.  One of the best biblical terms for this is transformation -- the idea that God changes us from the inside out. Matthew 5:11 ...  Jesus reframes persecution.  We are "blessed" when other persecute us on account of our faith. James 1:2 ... James reframes trials.  We are to consider it "pure joy" when we face trials that test our faith. 1 Corinthians 15:54 ... Paul reframes death.  Death is not the final answer -- it has been swallowed up in victory. Is it possible that God allows us to face discouragement because we have the opportunity to emerge from it a stronger leader?  Absolutely! For leaders, the question isn’t will I face times of discouragement?  The question is: what kind of leader will I be when I face discouragement?

In researching an upcoming teaching series, I came across this anonymous quote and thought I'd pass it along.  If you know who originally said it, pass it on. "To this world you might just be another person, but to one person you just might be the whole world."

"A father to the fatherless, a defender of widows, is God in his holy dwelling" (Psalm 68:5). This is an excerpt from a passage I read this past weekend as we focused on the magnificence of God.  The passage goes on to describe how God has been a faithful provider to his people. I've always liked Psalm 68:5 for how it describes God.  A father to the fatherless ...  a defender of widows.  Not just a protector but a defender! As I looked into this idea of God becoming a father to the fatherless, I noticed that the Bible is filled with verses that speak of God's concern for the disadvantaged and disenfranchised (over 30 verses alone deal with the fatherless).   Here are a few samples: "Your rulers are rebels, companions of thieves; they all love bribes and chase after gifts.  They do not defend the cause of the fatherless;…

We recently started a four-part teaching series on generosity.  In preparing my thoughts for week two, I've been processing this idea of the healing power of generosity.  Jesus taught us that it is "more blessed to give than to receive," though we often live as if we believed the opposite. Why would Jesus say such a thing?  Why is it better to give than to receive? Having a generous spirit is a safeguard against three specific things: Selfishness Self-centeredness Self-pity Selfishness is the opposite of a generous spirit.  Rather than give things away, selfish people hold on to them.  Selfish people live with the idea of "limited resources."  In other words, there is only so much time ... money ... ideas ... energy to go around -- so it's better to use it for yourself than to waste it on someone else. A self-centered person believes life revolves around him. …