Bible Study
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DEVELOP AN ATTITUDE OF GRATITUDE
Are you reaping a lot more weeds than fruit in your life? Are you working hard and seeing little or nothing for it? It may all be because of your attitude and what comes out of your mouth. You see, we are created in the image and likeness of our Creator God, who spoke the…
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FROM GRUMBLING TO GRATITUDE: THE POWER OF YOUR WORDS
Are you a grumbler? Complainer? Many of us are… Do you wonder why things don’t go well for you? Why you’re depressed or angry or broke? Maybe it’s because you’re letting the wrong words come out of your mouth. We see the impact of the Israelites’ grumbling and complaining in the book of Exodus. God…
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Symbols & Practices of Halloween | Part 3
The church has never been able to “sanitize” or “redeem” Halloween, as it was able to do with the pagan festivals that became Christmas and Easter. Christmas and its pagan symbols were transformed to celebrate the birth of Life. The pagan meanings are now mere history. Easter was transformed to celebrate the resurrection of Life.…
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Symbols and Practices of Halloween Part 2
Do you know the true meaning of Halloween? ***Trigger Warning*** Halloween is one of the two highest “unholy” days in Satanism, whose adherents sacrifice both animals and humans during October and especially during the Halloween season, from October 13 to November 4. Halloween is also the most important day in Wicca (witchcraft). It is the…
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Symbols & Practices of Halloween
Do you know the meaning of the Halloween symbols and practices we use today? Halloween as we know it originated in the Celtic festival of Samhain [pronounced sow–wain], about two thousand years ago. The Celts were an ancient tribe living in the British Isles and what is now northern France from about 700 B.C. to…
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Should Christians Celebrate Halloween
I used to love Halloween. My birthday is just two days later, so it was the easiest birthday party for my mom to handle. Send the kids out trick or treating, then come back for cake and ice cream. We lived in a very small town, and it was a very long time ago, so…
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Freedom from Condemnation
Everywhere I turn, I’m seeing videos and posts about conquering giants. Honestly, I think that’s what’s on God’s heart right now. And it makes sense—look around. The battles in our world are heating up, and too many of God’s people aren’t equipped for the fight. We’re still carrying attitudes, habits, and yes—sins—that keep us from…
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HOW DO YOU EAT AN ELEPHANT?
Sometimes, our giant feels like an elephant. Huge. Overwhelming. Dangerous. Noisy. Smelly. Scary. If it were smaller, we could tackle it. Conquer it. Succeed. But an elephant? Where do you start? How do you get a handle on it? You look at it from the front, and you see one thing. But you turn your…
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A Small Group to Meet Every Need: Four Types of Groups-Action
Action Groups An action group is one that comes together for a different purpose, but that incorporates many of the elements of small groups, especially community. For example, a choir can be a choir, or a choir that shares a brief Bible study, prayer requests, or care for one another. This type of group is…
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A Small Group to Meet Every Need: Four Types of Groups-Focused
Focused Groups A focused group comes together for a specific purpose and/or a limited time. It may focus on a particular type of growth. For example, I’ve led groups where I’ve gathered several women who have been “invited to leave” other groups because their wounding caused them to overwhelm the group and leader. We focused…
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A Small Group to Meet Every Need: Four Types of Groups-Closed
Closed, Limited Duration Discipleship Groups This is my favorite type of group. They meet for a specified time and have a closed membership during that time. These groups may meet for anywhere from six weeks to a year. They are perfect for the September to June schedule or the quarter schedule many churches follow. During…
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A Small Group to Meet Every Need: Four Types of Groups-Open
Open Multiplication or Cell Groups Does your church have groups for every need? Do you know that when it comes to small groups, one style won’t fit everyone? As I’ve led groups over the years, I’ve identified four types of groups. If you have some of each in your church, your ministry will be more…
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Verbal Abuse in the Church
Does unity in the church require ignoring verbal abuse from the pastor or other members? In the interest of unity, should we just suck it up when we experience a pattern of abusive behavior? That’s the question I’m living these days. I’ve just been “fired” from my volunteer leadership position at our church. The how…
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Let’s Take Another Look at Halloween
As October rushes upon us, young and old begin thinking about Halloween. The stores have been filled with ghosts, goblins, and witches for at least a month already. Soon neighbors will decorate their yards with as much gusto as for Christmas. Halloween is the second most expensive holiday in America, close on the heels of…
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FROM GRUMBLING TO GRATITUDE
Are you a grumbler? Complainer? Many of us are… Do you wonder why things don’t go well for you? Why you’re depressed or angry or broke? Maybe it’s because you’re letting the wrong words come out of your mouth. We see the impact of the Israelites’ grumbling and complaining in the book of Exodus. God…
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HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO KINGDOM NOW!
Kingdom Now: Pursuing Unity in the Body of Christ to Change the World debuted just one year ago. Since that time, many have had the opportunity to do the study either alone or in groups. Feedback has been excellent, especially from groups. This study is so timely and frankly, urgently needed. As we see the…
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HOW MUCH DO YOU LOVE ME?
My four-year old grandson is experimenting with the concept of like and love. Out of the blue he’ll tell me where I fall in his hierarchy of affection. One day he’ll “like like” me. Another day he’ll love me, “but not as much as Mommy.” It’s almost as if he’s rolling the thoughts around in…
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Concern for Your Body, Christ’s Body
Have you ever pondered this remarkable creation called your body? Throughout history, we humans have studied and tried to explain the dynamic capabilities of this instrument. Consider how the bones, muscles, and tendons work together to produce strength and movement. Wonder at how the bone marrow, the red and white blood cells, and plasma sustain…
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My Anchor of Hope
How’s your hope quotient? It’s no secret that we’ve come through one of the most challenging and turbulent years in my lifetime (and I’ve been around for a while!). We’ve lived through a toxic stew of a worldwide pandemic (complete with illness, death, shutdowns, and shut-ins), a venomous election (complete with alleged fraud and deceit),…
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Is It Time to Pack Your Bags?
As the Church has faced more opposition in the past few months, I’ve heard more “End Times” sermons than at any time in my Christian life. It seems that any time things get tough in the US, American Christians turn to the rapture as their great hope. They believe (and hope and pray) that we’ll…