God is Always With Us, Fighting for Us!

Why is there a Christmas? I believe there’s a Christmas because “God’s faithful love endures forever!” That’s a phrase that appears over and over in the Old Testament (mainly in the Psalms). It includes the Hebrew word, hesed (appears 248 times in the Old Testament), which describes God’s faithful love, loyalty, and devotion. God’s faithful … Read more

Praying for the Church at Christmastime

What an exciting time! And, what an incredible opportunity for the Church as we celebrate Christmas—God’s rescue mission to save the world! As the Church prepares to celebrate Jesus’ birth, and offer Christ, over the next few days, here’s what I find myself praying. O God, thank you for your great love, and for sending … Read more

“The Seed”

The latest book by Jon Gordon that I’ve read is The Seed (see previous posts on The Energy Bus and Training Camp). The Seed is about helping you find your purpose in life and at work. The book is a fable centered around Josh, a talented young man who has lost his passion at work. … Read more

The Lord is Great!

Recently, Adam Weber, pastor of Embrace Church (a United Methodist Church) posted a prayer on Twitter that has stuck with me … Lord, please use us to make your name great. #thefamousOne — adamweber (@adamweber) December 6, 2013 This prayer, and this attitude, is essential for staying humble and hungry. Focusing on God’s greatness keeps … Read more

“Direct Hit”

Several years ago, Paul Borden consulted with the leaders of the Susquehanna Conference. The Matthew 28 Initiative, a strategy for transforming congregations, developed out of that experience (read more at Growing Effective Churches). I’ve written about Centre Grove UMC’s experience with Matthew 28: see Transforming Congregations Through the Matthew 28 Initiative (the before) and The … Read more