There is an old poem that goes like this ... Sow a thought, reap an act; Sow an act, reap a habit; Sow a habit, reap a character; Sow a character, reap a destiny Your life is shaped by your thoughts. Ultimately, you become what you think about. Life is lived ‘inside out’. It’s not what … Continue reading Thoughts
Every room has an atmosphere – it includes factors such as the temperature of the room, the lighting, and the freshness of the air – or the lack of it. In the same way, every group – whether it’s a team or a family – has an atmosphere. It describes what it feels like to … Continue reading Atmosphere
Every human being has desires on the inside of them – longings for acceptance, for approval, for a sense of identity, for a sense of belonging, for significance and for a sense of purpose in life. Where do these longings come from? Are they merely a “wish projection” or could they indicate that there is … Continue reading Longings
The ministry of prophecy is to be an important part of the local church and the development of every church leader. This is a biblical concept and was used often in the appointment of leaders to various roles and ministries in the early church (see Acts 13:1-3. 1 Timothy 1:18-19; 4:14). The Prophetic Ministry A … Continue reading The Prophetic Ministry
Knowing God's Will for Your Life God communicates to us in many ways, but all through the Spirit. These include: 1. Prayer. God wants to speak to you in your personal time with him. Take time to listen (tune in) to his voice. What are the desires of your heart and the gifts he has given … Continue reading Knowing God’s Will for Your Life
Last week we had prayer and prophetic ministry over 430 of our church leaders. It was a terrific time of encouragement, challenge and ministry. This was the culmination of a season of prayer and fasting in our church. For those who received a prophetic words, here are some suggested steps for following that up: Responding … Continue reading Responding to the Prophetic Word
A friend pointed me to a very good article recently in the Huffington Post religion section by Jamie Bruesehoof to parents with young children in church (especially relevant when kid's church is having a break during the school holidays!). Here is it: You are doing something really, really important. I know it's not easy. I see … Continue reading For Parents with Young Children in Church
Research in America shows that 59% of millennials (also known as Gen Y) drop out of church after attending regularly as a teenager. For the past decade, Barna Group has been working to understand this important age group. After interviewing more than 27,000 millennials and conducting 206 studies of this group, they have amassed a significant … Continue reading Reaching Millennials
There has been an interesting amount of discussion recently around the differences between extrovert and introvert personalities. Susan Cain's best-selling book Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World that Can't Stop Talking kick-started the topic quite considerably back in 2009. This was given further momentum in 2012 when her TED talk on "The Power … Continue reading Quiet: The Power of Introverts
Here is a very helpful recent post on productivity by popular BLOGGER Michael Hyatt ... Almost everyone has some important project they can’t seem to get to. Maybe it’s starting a blog, writing a book, or launching a new business initiative. You just can’t seem to find the time to tackle it. Whenever I speak on the topic … Continue reading How to Find Time for that Important Project [by Michael Hyatt]
A recent National Geographic article by Rich Cohen entitled Sugar Love - a Not So Sweet Story reveals that the average can of soda (everything from cola to ginger ale) contains around 10 teaspoons of sugar. Not only that, the average American eats around 22.7 teaspoons of sugar a day - without even dipping into … Continue reading Sugar – Why We Can’t Resist It
Here is a thought-provoking article on The Lonely Pastor: Nine Observations by Thom S. Rainer ... The conversation took place just yesterday. A young man told me his dad, a pastor, recently committed suicide. He talked about the pain his father experienced in ministry as well as the intense loneliness. Though suicide is not an … Continue reading The Lonely Pastor (by Thom S. Rainer)
Did you hear? Yesterday was World Beard Day! Yes, the first Saturday of September is the official day to celebrate great facial hair. This is timely for me, as I returned from my recent holiday sporting a beard that ties me to my Scottish roots (see picture to the right of my great, great grandfather … Continue reading World Beard Day
Congratulations to Mr Tony Abbott who was elected today as the next prime Minister of Australia. He succeeded Mr Kevin Rudd, who will not contest the leadership of the Labor Party. This election campaign has been somewhat of a circus, but in the end the Australian population voted, and the Coalition has taken government, with … Continue reading A New Australian Prime Minister: Mr Tony Abbott
Here is a very thought-provoking article about tomorrow's election, by my good friend, Jarrod McKenna. "Mixing religion and politics is like mixing ice cream and manure. It doesn't do much to the manure but it sure does ruin the ice cream", my friend Tony Campolo likes to say. Yet this election, like many before, there … Continue reading Religion and Politics is like Ice-Cream and Manure: They Don’t Mix (Jarrod McKenna)
