Tags: growth

• bad harmony

  Did you hear that three-piece squawk painfully on weekend TV? Did you see the shame and courage, the attempts and the misery that the early episodes of the X-factor (inevitably) induce? They are incredible (mad-bad-incredible!) examples of what happens when you surround yourself with people who are not wiling to speak truth. Do you reckon each one of these people sat with friends and family and belted out those songs: that  someone actually heard them and then said, “That’s so [...]

• essential Piper: 2of6 hedonism

  In this little mini-series from one of my helpers in the faith, the inimitable John Piper. This entry looks at Christian Hedonism, which at it’s core, is the truth that God is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in him. An immense and punchy truth!! ” We praise what we enjoy because the delight is incomplete until it is expressed in praise. If we were not allowed to speak of what we value and celebrate what we [...]

• essential Piper: 1of6 purpose

  ,….and nothing of the Pied-piper sort! “Don’t waste your life!” is pure-spiritual-adrenalin and a call-to obedience by one of my favourite authors, John Piper. Definitely a Top-Fifty book of all time for me…. Despite Julie not being a big fan, I’m going to aim for a six-entry-weekly-taster from Piper’s best books and key thinking. ” It is possible to waste your life. Few things make me tremble more than the possibility of taking this onetime gift of life and wasting [...]

• contextless links

  You’re the offspring of eternity, if you know Jesus! Take heart! Divided about how you see God, yet very united in relationship….! It is wonderfully possible? Ways to fight loneliness in leadership,…… Great writing advice from CS Lewis! Brilliant holiday advice: re eating and sleeping ratios! Gordon McDonald, offers a way to debrief with God and stay connected…. Eugene Peterson’s timeless wisdom living from Jeremiah! John Piper’s epic advice to emerging leaders… The LICC’s very helpful discipleship blog-conversation Mark Driscoll [...]

• random ruminations

  Meals, and the grace of hospitality….. Procastination is considered a sin, according to Joe Thorn Success v Blessing, helpfully explored by Pete Wilson Bishop Tom Wrights closing preach in Durham, calling for a renewed passion for social justice. Marilynne Robinson speaks helpfully about the unity of science and faith. Great leadership checks for working with young adults. A classic list….. The brilliant free global ministry-leadership event, the nines, scheduled for late September. Register and it’s yours!

• my earnest prayer….

  I want my behaviour to be consistent; I want my initiatives to be creative; I want my teaching to be truthful. I want my compassion to be real; I want my heart to (always) be tender; I want my word to be reliable; I want my gifts to be available; I want my emotions to be stable; I want my attitude to be suitable; I want my life to be reproducible; I want my work to be sustainable; I want [...]

• look, search and find…..

  the good in all situations…..! yes in all there is a trace of goodness to be found, however grim,…. and graceless…. At the weekend, Julie and I chewed over the immensity of this passage: it’s a rich sight-raising, faith-nourishing invitation!  Expectations and perspective so often shape our day…. right from the moment when you stub your toe, on getting out of bed in the morning! Not everything seems good, but look for the good in the situation. Romans 8:28, “For [...]

• a better me,….. (please!?)

  Last night I started reading John Ortberg’s; The Me I Want to Be. I am only one chapter in…and already loving this book. I’m not a slow reader, so a slow read-is the greatest of book-compliments I can give! The more pen-scribbles all over it the better…..! Ortberg begins by answering questions I think that you and I both wrestle with… For instance, I often have a hard time discerning what a more healthy, alive, godly me looks like….. And [...]

• contextless links

  A possible sound-effect for church stimulis, world-cup inspired?!! Church ‘death’ always (but rarely) produces Kingdom life! A great merger story…. Truly as Dietrich Bonhoeffer once wrote: “One act of obedience is better than one hundred sermons.” A glorious global phenomena, only in London! Great concept! A few more of my recent book-reviews, are posted on Amazon: very many-more too follow…. Andrew Murray’s brilliant Surrender-writing and other goodies, free on pdf…. In my tea-drinking life,… was amused at this Metro story,… [...]

• quoteable quote:- adversity

  “Do not fear the conflict. Do not flee it. Where there is no struggle, there is no virtue. Where love and faith are not tempted, it is not possible to be sure whether they are really present. They are tried and revealed in adversity, in difficult and grievous circumstances.” St. John Chrysostom (c. 347–407)