This weekend, I made the following announcement to my church family - CityLife Church. Obviously, it was a surprise to many, while not to others. There is a degree of sadness with any change like this but I am also encouraged by the amount of support I have received. [Watch on You Tube] I have … Continue reading Announcement about Mark Conner’s Future
A holidaying American businessman standing on the pier of a quaint coastal fishing village in southern Mexico watched as a small boat with just one young Mexican fisherman pulled into the dock. Inside the small boat were several large yellowfin tuna. Enjoying the warmth of the early afternoon sun, the American complimented the Mexican on … Continue reading The Fisherman and the Businessman
Over 3,000 years ago, Moses wrote this: Our days may come to seventy years, or eighty, if our strength endures … they quickly pass, and we fly away … Teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom. Psalm 90:10-12. NIV More people are living over 100 today than at … Continue reading Could you live to be 100?
As I read the Gospels, there is a refrain that continues to play throughout the stories of Jesus. Jesus is actually not this ministry machine, who is always teaching, praying, healing and helping people. He regularly slips away ... to be by himself. Matthew 14:13. When Jesus got the news, he slipped away by boat … Continue reading Is it time to slip away …
Some encouraging advice from Jesus today: Matthew 10:41-42. This is a large work I've called you into, but don't be overwhelmed by it. It's best to start small. Give a cool cup of water to someone who is thirsty, for instance. The smallest act of giving or receiving makes you a true apprentice. You won't lose … Continue reading Start Small
Last Thursday night, we had our first All Leader's Summit at CityLife Church. It's always good to get tighter with such an enthusiastic and committed group of people, who help care for our congregation and lead our various ministries. At the meeting, I took some time to review what it is that leaders actually do. … Continue reading What Leaders Do
Here’s an old poem by Edgar Guest that's worth reflecting on, especially for all of us who teach and preach others ... A Sermon I’d rather see a sermon than hear one any day; I’d rather one should walk with me than merely show the way. The eye’s a better pupil, and more willing than … Continue reading A Great Sermon
Jesus tells us that we have a Father who pays attention to our lives - down to the very details. Matthew 10:29-30. God cares what happens to it (a small canary) even more than you do. He pays even greater attention to you, down to the last detail — even numbering the hairs on your … Continue reading The God Who Pays Attention
Worry is a normal part of the human condition. Our minds naturally drift towards thinking about what could or is going wrong in our life or our world. Jesus understood this and addressed it (Matthew 6:25-34), as did the apostle Paul. When writing from prison to the church at Philippi, Paul said: Philippians 4:6-8. Don’t … Continue reading Overcoming Worry
How is Your Race Going? 4. Are You Detoured? Sometimes we take a wrong turn. We're going the wrong way. We might even be lost. Even Jesus said that there is a wide road that seems attractive but it doesn’t always lead to life. Think of the prodigal Son who left home for the … Continue reading The Race of Life (Part 4)
How is Your Race Going? 3. Are You Stopped? Sometimes we stop because of tragedy. Bad things happen to good people. Pain, hurt and tragedy touch most people’s lives. We don’t always know why. Life tends to ‘freeze frame’ in these moments. We need healing and comfort. Grief, which is a normal response to ‘loss’, is … Continue reading The Race of Life (Part 3)
How is Your Race Going? 2. Are You Slowing Down? Maybe you are slowing down for various reasons. You could be tired or fatigued. You've been through a busy patch that has felt like running up a steep hill. Maybe you've been working too many long hours, running too fast for too long, and now … Continue reading The Race of Life (Part 2)
As we begin the New Year together, it's a good time to reflect on our life - where have we come from, where are we now, and where are we going? Through the course of time, we all move through: age stages (child, teenager, young adult, adult, senior adult), faith stages (seeking, finding, growing, maturing), … Continue reading The Race of Life (Part 1)
In the holidays, we went to see the movie Suffragette. It was very moving - showing the struggle of women to gain the right to vote in Britain back in the early 1800s. The movie does not claim to be a comprehensive exploration of every activist who falls under that broad term, but instead revolves around one … Continue reading Suffragette
Today, some words from Jesus as recorded in Matthew 6:31-34 (Message Bible translation). What I'm trying to do here is to get you to relax, to not be so preoccupied with getting, so you can respond to God's giving. People who don't know God and the way he works fuss over these things, but you know both … Continue reading Relax
