Our current mini-van has 104,000 miles on it. It’s survived 8 years of kids and moving from Kansas to Little Rock. It’s a slow, painful sucking sound on our pocket book in the form of gas mileage and repairs. So this week – with the help of the mini-van needing another visit to the shop read more
The brilliant minds of MSN bring us this story…. wait…..it’s profound….. Common spiritual bond is critical to marital health and happiness. No kidding? Actually, the article is quite good. Here’s the best quote – The greatest predictor of marital stability, however, isn’t whether a couple is of the same faith but how much they agree read more
This is second most awkward thing in a life group. Mainly because I think we (leaders) force it. How? Because most of us, while have a BROAD DEFINITION of worship, we have a NARROW APPLICATION of it. Worship = guy/gal with a guitar + everyone else singing. So….do you play the guitar? What if you read more
Couple of new links I’d like to throw at you. ‘Reverand’ Bill Hayes – he is the uncle of Orangejack Rob, and owner of the Rev Bills in my CBS Fantasy Football League. Good thinker.Noel Kurtz – former student, blogged about him a while back. A sophomore at UCA wrestling with what it means to read more
I’ve had my share of slips in sermons…. but not like this…. oh my…….
Man, I am going to wear this thing out!! A sample: Woe unto thee, O thou who art a byword for idiocy, for you will see your pomegranates wither!
From Anonymous on Wounded: Just another consideration for you to think about…Could dress be a stumbling block on either side, the rich and the poor? Is the target area anyone who needs Jesus? Did Jesus want the people to see Him or see God? Keep looking to Jesus. He will steer you to what is read more
Did a bonehead thing last night…left my laptop plugged in. Normally, that isn’t a problem but if a tropical storm is coming through your city, well…maybe you ought to unplug it. So this morning at church, I’m firing it up getting it ready for service when the “blue screen” pops up and tells me some read more
After this, I took this morning to just veg out with my Tide…and I’ve just watched two of the most clueless coaches in the SEC go against each other. Houston Nutt and Mike Shula. ‘Bama won…but two illustrations alone will suffice my claims. Shula, up by 4 with 5 minutes left on the Arkansas side read more
I wrestled with posting this. While living transparently is a huge value to me, I also realize that it opens up massive-huge cans of worms for us as a church just because of the title after my name. So I’ve decided to post it. Not for all reasons altruistic but also because it hurt. And read more
If you’ve been keeping up – you know that my blogging bro-in-law Tom and I are exchanging friendly jabs at each other. The truth of the matter – I smoke him in blogging…BUT he got me started blogging. Part of the reason I smoke him in blogging is because he has a real job. On read more
While Amy was leading high schools into an encounter with Jesus…. I was upstairs playing. I use Firefox browser and Thunderbird email reader (which is awesome, because it is how I subscribe to all my RSS feeds. Just read ‘em in the email, don’t have to surf all over God’s green earth….except that the internet read more
I’m not preaching this week, instead I’m leading worship. I like the change up. Gives a completely different pace to the week. Robert Upshaw is bringing ‘it’ this week. We ate lunch with each other yesterday just rambling about life, the sermon, the series. Then it happened…a God moment. He tells me – “Hey man, read more
From Wayne:Why do you value these things? From Zack, (I’d link him but he blogs less than my brother-in-law):How can the things you value give you a better MUG time? (BTW, MUG = Mystical Union with God, it’s a stumin thing.) Good questions. First to Zack, (another answer a question with a question moment) What read more
This is so true and so funny. It’s a blog by my brother-in-law. It’s his annual post. As a teaser – here is the picture…
As we are interviewing candidates for our teaching pastor, this question has come up alot…. And here are my answers. They in no way are endorsed by Grace Church and probably will lessen your chances of getting hired…anywhere. I value questions more than answers – thanks marko.blue jeans over dockerscoffee over power breakfast/lunchraw over producedstumbling read more
A not-so-random question for us….If the bulls-eye of our LIFE Groups is to have a life-changing experience with Jesus, how do you get all the leaders on the same page as to HOW to do that and WHAT that looks like? Hmmm. Intrigued yet? Don’t worry – I am NOT going to go CONTROL FREAK read more
I’m up in my CBS league with Orangejack (who has a new website by the way…it looks really good)…actually, I’m playing him this weekend and I’ve got a 18 point lead going into Monday nights games. I put up great numbers in my Yahoo league but am losing by 34. The team I’m playing put read more
Preached on serving today…the same week we HAD to send out letters to our body requiring parents who have kids in Crosswalk to serve at least 2 weeks a year. On one hand – it’s pretty cool that it’s only 2 weeks. On the other hand…well, I still feel this way. As a pastor – read more
This morning, as is my normal Friday routine – get up, read, mosey to kitchen, make a mocha, read some more, make a bagel…okay, toast a bagel – read some more. Then it hit me – the perfect story of how Jesus defines serve. Which is what I was preaching on this Sunday. Problem – read more
Ever been so tired – mentally – that to construct a single line of theological thought that has depth and meaning is akin to climbing Everest? That’s where my soul is.
Random Recovering Thoughts After the Bronco Loss. Actually, it wasn’t a loss. It was a beating. Go to Miami to play a rookie coach, a has been quarterback, a cross-dressing marijuana running back (who’s actually on suspension), a rookie running back, and team dressed in pansy looking unis…and get spanked. Shanahan – what the heck, read more
I’m studying and reading this week about my upcoming talking on serving… It is going to hurt. Did you know that a follower of Jesus will never mature unless they are serving? Did you know that serving for Jesus included a baseline expectation of helping the poor, needy, orphans, widows, and helpless? Read that question read more
If you haven’t already read this – go ahead. It’ll give you an idea as to where we are going on Sunday.
“Interviewing” a Pastor Candidate has got to be one of the most bizarre spectacles we have created in ministry. We are in the middle of one right now. On one level – it’s ridiculous. I mean most of us pastors are posers anyway. We fly by the seat of our pants, we’re trying to trust read more
Here is Wayne’s (a volunteer) perspective on Fastbreak. Good stuff… or in the words of Wayne – powerful.
I leave the retreat this morning about 8 to head to church to preach. That normally gives me plenty of time, our service doesn’t start till 10.30. Unless of course your computer that runs powerpoint crashes at 10.10. Then you got issues. Fortunately, the service was about silence and fasting. Pretty stinkin’ funny now that read more
Students just came completely amped tonight. Worship just took off. I could even finish the last two or three songs, just choking up like crazy. Students kneeling at their chairs or standing up on them completely engaged with God, clueless to anyone or anything else around them. What a night. Life Group time was powerful. read more
Saturday AfternoonMorning session was great – Robert really set the table for our Life Groups. I’m starting to hear some of the cool stories. Right now – they are stories of hurt and frustration. Stories of being misunderstand and ignored. It’s the best reason in the world to work with students to see these stories get transformed…to see Love read more
My journal notes from Fastbreak this weekendFriday nightFirst session went well. Robert Upshaw did a good job. The worship was a good start – Scott Fitzgerald came in and did worship for me at short notice. I was going to do it but this last week was crazy, so I punted. Smart decision on my part. Humbling – realizing I read more
Hey, TO. Keep the ring, just give the money anyway. Oh, I forgot. You held out because you didn’t make enough to feed your family.
Ever wanted to know what John Elway or Dan Marino or Jim Kelly could have done on a complete team? Watch Tom Brady and the Patriots. He is going to win more Super Bowls than any quarterback alive. After last night‘s dismantling of the Raiders, anybody got any more questions as to how they are read more
This is one crazy week. Lot’s of meetings, lots of logistics, lots of phone calls and emails, crank up my worldview class this week (actually 2 of them), retreat this weekend, sermon, Camber’s first T-Ball game. I’ve got my place reserved at Oasis for next week. And the discipline I’m focused on this week – read more
Got this email today: Hey Grant & Rowland (I mean, Dudes … sorry), Yesterday was a really special service. Thank you for taking the time to prayerfully consider how to present the discipline of prayer. Grant, I really appreciated your honesty re: the struggles you have in prayer and in your time with the Lord. read more
Cool concept. I don’t know how helpful this will be – seeing that most of the region doesn’t have power. But I love the idea. Spread the word.
Ice cream cake from Baskin-Robbins – chocolate chip – with magic candles that don’t blow out. That was quite funny.
The finished product – a pink french poodle name Poodle with a silver sparkle outfit, cellphone, and microphone.
In exchange for the passy – we go to “Build-A-Bear.” What a cool place for a kid. Here Cayden is stuffing her new stuff dog…a pink french poodle.
That’s my dad in the front (article here). This is when he was in Mobile. Now, he’s just outside of Gulfport, Mississippi. I got to finally talk to him yesterday for a few minutes. It was really good to hear his voice. He’s got about 9 more days before FEMA rotates him off for a read more
“Awkward silence” isn’t. It’s painful, harrowing, dreadful, and sickening…but it’s not awkward. A LIFE Group setting only compounds that feeling. Everything is quadrupled in silence. Sniffles, giggles, breathing, ….fears, hopes, doubts….the voice of God…maybe? What scares me about silence? Why is it so uncomfortable? Why do we avoid it so much? Why does it seem read more
24,000 refugees hit Arkansas today. That’s on top of those who are already here. How will LR respond? Hard to say. We have the highest percentage of “confessing evangelical” population. That’s right, world. 1 in 5 people in Little Rock claim to be followers of Jesus. We are also the world’s meanest city to homeless read more
Bush is getting a beat down in the media. And you know what? He should. I’m not going to even try to defend him and his administration. He did everything right after 9/11. He’s pretty much been absent in this. And leaders can’t lead if they aren’t present. That budget surplus? I think you’ve got read more
I like Raisin Bran. I like raisins plain – for the most part. Have to be in a mood for them. I loved the California Raisins.I do NOT like raisins in my bagels. They look like flies, first of all, and I just can’t handle that kind of thing early in the morning. Cooper doesn’t read more
Cayden got into the catcher’s gear during practice. She’s too cute and she knows it.
Camber’s first hit, first swing. Nice form, don’t you think? She got that from her dad’s side of the family.
My 3 goofy kids…last free night before school started. They get this from their mom’s side of the family.
Isn’t it fun to preach on things that you feel so inadequate about? If I was leading a LIFE Group this week – these are the questions I’d like to ask… Why does a ‘to-do’ list become so crystal clear in the middle of my prayer time? What are the major distractors in my prayer read more
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