The average distance between the head and the heart is 18 inches. That is, unless you have a really long or short neck. When it comes to our relationship with Jesus, he wants both our head and our heart. God's desire for us is that our love may "abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight" (Philippians 1:9-10). A life that bears fruit is one that grows in its "knowledge of God" (Colossians 1:9-11). The problem lies when there is a disconnect between our head and our heart. It's not enough to simply believe an assortment of facts -- or even to know all the right answers to all the right questions. Why? Because Jesus wants your heart, not just your head. Isaiah addressed this problem centuries before the birth of Christ: "These people come near to me with their mouth and honor me with their lips, but…
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I can remember when having a pair of shoes with velcro was considered cool; I can foresee another time in life when having shoes with velcro will be practical! Velcro is used in a variety of products and settings because it's an effective way of linking together two objects. It's replaced zippers, shoe laces, and more. It has the familiar "ripping" sound when pulled apart. When it comes to relationships, compliments and criticisms are like velcro strips ... once we've said either one, we're linked to the person on the receiving end. Compliments reinforce and rebuild. A well-placed compliment recognizes a strength and reinforces it. It takes latent potential and brings it closer to the surface. It also rebuilds, breathing new life into a damaged relationship or wounded dream. Criticisms live on in the heart well after they've left the mouth. Intentional or unintentional, they fasten themselves to previous hurts…
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Here's a thought-provoking article by Tim Stevens on the percentage of people who may never visit church but consider themselves on a spiritual journey. It challenges us (and me) to rethink how we reach out to an increasing percentage of people who are interested in Jesus but not the church. The Shrinking 40%
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When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, "Who do people say the Son of Man is?" They replied, "Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets." "But what about you?" he asked. "Who do you say I am?" Simon Peter answered, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God." Jesus replied, "Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by man, but by my Father in heaven. And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it. (Matthew 16:13-18) For many years, I viewed this passage as an affirmation that no matter how bleak things got, no matter how dark the world became, there would always be a church somewhere. It might…
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It's tempting, but don't do it. Never confuse activity for accomplishment. Just because we're busy doesn't mean we're being effective. Although we might be buzzing around from event to event, commitment to commitment, busyness itself is not a guarantee that our quality of life (or quality of work) will be better. In fact, it could be counterproductive. An injured muscle needs time to heal. Without enough time to rest, our best ideas may give way to just OK ideas; even worse, they might give way to really bad ideas. Make it your goal to be effective, not just busy.
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