Blowin’ in the Wind

“The wind blows wherever it pleases.  You hear its sound,
but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going.
So it is with everyone born of the Spirit”. – Jesus (John 3:8 NIV)

In the world of cycling, even for an amateur like myself, you soon learn that the wind is both your friend and foe – maybe even on the same ride.  Spring rides have a way of reminding you of this truth.  On a recent ride, going east to west, I looked down to see the speedometer hit 30 mph (with the aid of both a tail wind and downhill path), but coming back (west to east) I had a hard time mustering 10 to 12 mph against the head wind and that same hill.  On that particular ride the wind was my friend and my foe.

I’ve also learned that wind is rather fickle.  It can come at you from all directions. Continue reading

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More Than Just Another Week

Palm frondsHoly Week begins this Sunday, April 9th as Christ followers all over the world observe and celebrate Palm Sunday and cross the threshold into the week of Jesus’ Passion.

To much of the world it will be just another week.  Cable news networks will squawk about government investigations and stream “breaking news” banners across screens. World governments will flex muscle and attempt to wield influence over war torn and troubled lands.  Everyday folk will get up, go to work and try to make a better life for themselves and their families.  Children will go to school.  Spring will make another run at grabbing a toehold and offering weather to match the calendar.   And, in the midst of all that and more, we will remember and revisit the path our Savior walked during his last days and hours in Jerusalem.

It’s a pilgrimage journey we are invited to make during this week. Continue reading

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Webinar: “Leadership with Questions”

You can watch our FREE archived webinar “Leadership with Questions” produced by Judson Press here.

Webinar Description: Do you ever grow tired of being expected to have all the answers? What if you tried leading others with questions? What if, through questions, you helped others find the answers to the challenges of church life and personal discipleship? 

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FREE “Leadership with Questions” Webinar

Webinar picA FREE Webinar titled “Leadership with Questions” will be made available through Judson Press on Tuesday, April 4th at 1 p.m. EST.   This webinar is being led by authors Dan Cash and Bill Griffith using material from their book 8 Questions Jesus Asked: Discipleship for Leaders.   Here’s a summary of what will be covered:

Do you ever grow tired of being expected to have all the answers? What if you tried Jesus’ approach of leading others with questions? What if, through questions, you helped others find the answers to the challenges of church life and personal discipleship?

In this webinar, authors Dan Cash and Bill Griffith will help you understand the importance of using questions to guide, develop, and move others as they lead and help facilitate faith formation.

Register for this webinar.

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Journey with Jesus

The season of Lent is based on Jesus’ 40 days of temptation in the wilderness.  Take 40 days, add Sundays, and you’ve got Lent – a season of preparation that leads us to Holy Week.  I’ve come to think of Lent as a time of pilgrimage or journey.  It’s an annual trek we undertake designed to reshape and form our thinking and living.  It’s an opportunity to once again make Jesus the model or prototype that we follow, and to devote our attention to his life and teachings – as opposed to allowing so much of the noise from our over exposure to media (social and news) to shape our outlook.

I invite you to imagine, or better yet, set forth on a journey with Jesus during these Lenten days.  A great way to do this is to commit to read through one of the Gospels.  Follow the chronicle of Jesus’ life from its beginning to end (manger to cross and resurrection).  Allow that story to read your life and what may be going on with you.  Sit with it. Don’t be in a hurry. Continue reading

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