Category: illustrations
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What You Water Grows
I took this picture in my backyard this morning. It illustrates this thought perfectly. In the middle is our healthy orange tree, to it’s left is a healthy grapefruit tree, if you could see more you’d see another orange tree, a couple peach trees, a mandarin, and lemon tree. And everything else is dirt. Being…
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When life crushes you
Awesome video. When I saw it I laughed and went “hmm” at the same time. Isn’t it ironic that the thing that cleans and refreshes us… in massive quantities crushes and destroys? As an introvert stuck in an extroverts world I often feel relationally crushed by human interaction. For example, one of my biggest struggles…
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Gran Torino Discussion Questions
Walt Kowalski is a widower who holds onto his prejudices despite the changes in his Michigan neighborhood and the world around him. Kowalski is a grumpy, tough-minded, unhappy an old man, who can’t get along with either his kids or his neighbors, a Korean War veteran whose prize possession is a 1972 Gran Torino he…
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Rounding 3rd
A few years ago I was on the church softball team. Being a church league for adults it was mostly filled with people who used to be able to play well, but time and a few extra pounds had lowered their skill level down a lot lower than their imaginations thought they were. In other…
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The Double Edged Sword of Awe
We are all born with a desire for religious experience. God made us this way. Each of us has had experiences in which the only description of our emotions is awe. These are intimate moments between you and God, a person, or a even location or event. While God intended for this awe to be…
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The greatest small group night ever
I’ve done small groups in one form or another most of the last 15 years. I’ve been in high school, college, and adult small groups. I’ve lead middle school, high school, college, and adult small groups. I’ve always wanted a small group that gelled and did awesome things… and I could never make it happen…
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3 Things I Don’t Want to Hear From a Pastor…. EVER!
Now that I’m a regular Joe sitting in the pew on Sunday morning, I’ve gotten a chance to discover some things that are awkward for the audience to hear. In short, I don’t think pastors should say these things… EVER! Talk about your sex life. How gross is it to hear any 40 something year…
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Reigning in Christmas
This was the 3rd year where Kristen and I really controlled Christmas instead of Christmas controlling us. We’ve always had a desire to keep Christmas in it’s rightful place. It seems like it is finally sinking in and becoming a habit. The good news is that anyone can control Christmas! Practically, we are celebrating another…
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The Personal Preference Sin
I’d like to talk to some people about a rabid sin running rampant and unchecked throughout the American Evangelical church. Maybe if you’re reading this today I’m meant to talk to you. This is, I believe, one of Satan’s most powerful devices for separating our people. And yet, this sin runs so deep and is…
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The Lord’s Prayer, a paraphrase
This has been my prayer for the last several days. I can’t get it out of my head. You are our Father, reigning from above You define Holy. Bring Your Kingdom here. You are doing Your will here and through out the universe. Feed us today with the only thing that really sustains us. Forgive…