Category Archives: Spiritual Growth

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Thankfulness And A Broken Ankle

The past week has been pretty quiet around here, and I apologize for that. Sunday morning, my wife fell and suffered a broken ankle. You may know that she is pregnant, and that has been a concern in this situation. I am relieved to say that the baby is fine (it’s a girl, by the way), but her ankle is not so good.

Ankle

The orthopedic doctor has instructed her to stay off of it for the next month. That has definitely changed our daily routines. As a result, the past few days have been less focused on writing and more on shuttling her to the doctor, and the kids to various activities. We are very thankful for those friends and family members who have helped us, and continue to do so. You are loved!

Needless to say, my writing schedule has taken a back seat to these family needs this week. I hope to resume a more normal schedule in the next few days. It will be nice to resume a normal routine as much as possible until Heather gets back on her feet.

Even in the midst of a minor crisis, there is much to be thankful for. The baby is fine. The injury could have been worse, or could have happened to one of the kids. The outpouring of love and support from friends and family has been tremendous, and our church family has been right there every moment we’ve needed someone.

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5 Benefits Of Reading Quality Books (ESD)

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Developing solid spiritual disciplines takes a lot of work and a lot of time. But it is well worth the effort. Many of the disciplines that we need to develop in our lives require a lot of patience and a lot of practice to build into a solid habit. Others are much easier; as easy as simply choosing the right thing.

That’s the case when it comes to reading quality books, besides the Bible reading that we need to maintain. There are a lot of books out there. But not everything in print is worth reading. And much that is okay to read shouldn’t be too high on the priority list.

Quality Books

This is a case where you may have to sacrifice the good for the best. While there is much to read that is good, and books that we like to read, there are other things that are the best things to read. Seeking these out and spending time with them is a habit that is worth developing.

Here are five major benefits that come with choosing the best books to read.

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Making A Covenant With My Eyes

It’s no secret that many men struggle with sexual temptation. That can range across a wide variety of struggles, from outright infidelity and adultery, to pornography, to simple lust (which isn’t really that simple).

Studies show that men tend to be more visual than women, and just adds to the problem. So how do we combat it?

Apple

Sexual purity is a critical pursuit for men in this day and age, when all too many men see nothing wrong with it. The same struggle exists for women, too, but from what I’ve read, it’s not yet as prevalent as it is with men. Finding a solution that works is essential. In order to be the men that God called us to be, and the husbands and fathers our wives and children need us to be, we must find a way to resist this temptation.

In the book of Job, from the Old Testament, we can catch a glimpse of just how ancient this struggle really is, and we can gather some insights into how we can stand firm, resisting the temptations of sexual impurity.

In chapter 31, Job makes a very bold statement: “I made a covenant with my eyes not to look lustfully at a young woman.”

I believe that this is a brief peek into the heart of what God wants for each one of us. I see three things that we can do to help us to stand strong in this area, based upon Job’s experience and commitment.

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How Wilderness Uses Solitude To Seek God

One of the foundational spiritual disciplines I practice regularly is the discipline of solitude. Every few weeks, I find a place to get away from the office, away from the phones, and text messages and social media, and just focus on listening to God speak into my life.

Mountains Shrouded in Clouds

I bring my Bible, my journal, a legal pad and a book or two, along with some snack food and drinks, and I just take in what God has to say to me.

Solitude has been one of the biggest impacts for my spiritual life in recent years, as I establish a habit of practicing it regularly. And the biggest and best opportunity for this comes each year when I attend CIY Wilderness.

Wilderness is a retreat designed for ministers, specifically youth ministers, to get away and spend some time caring for their own spiritual nourishment. Ministry tends to be a place where people give and give, but if there is no replenishment, then the giving will soon come to a halt. Wilderness seeks to help with that.

Each year I go, greatly anticipating some incredible solitude, just me and God, in the mountains of Colorado. And each year, I come home renewed and restored, ready to tackle the challenges that ministry brings.

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Taking Advantage Of Divine Appointments

Several years ago, I stumbled across the idea of divine appointments. I found the thought intriguing, and have worked it into my spiritual journaling to some extent ever since. But recently, the idea has been on my mind more, and I’m wondering how I can use this concept more effectively in my life.

Airport Waiting Room

The whole concept of a divine appointment is based around the idea that God brings people into my life on a regular basis for a moment, and for a reason.

Let me give you an example.

A few days ago, I visited a local restaurant. My waitress apparently knew that I was a minister, even though I’ve never met her before. In the process of waiting on us, she shared a few struggles she was facing in her life, tearing up as she did so. She was really having a hard time. With problems with her boyfriend, her kids, and her finances, she was facing some tough times.

As we paid our check, she asked if we would pray for her over the coming days. Of course, we said yes.

Most of the time, these kinds of interactions come into our lives for a brief moment and then out again. We normally don’t think much about them beyond the moment itself.

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5 Reasons To Hand Copy God’s Word

A few years ago, I stumbled across a passage of the Old Testament that I had probably read dozens of times, but never really noticed. But once it grabbed my attention, I haven’t been able to let it go. It has been on my mind ever since.

Fountain Pen

The passage is found in the book of Deuteronomy, one of the most encouraging books of the Old Testament. In chapter seventeen, at the end of the chapter, you find some instructions for the king. This is included:

Now it shall come about when he sits on the throne of his kingdom, he shall write for himself a copy of this law on a scroll in the presence of the Levitical priests. It shall be with him and he shall read it all the days of his life, that he may learn to fear the Lord his God, by carefully observing all the words of this law and these statutes, that his heart may not be lifted up above his countrymen and that he may not turn aside from the commandment, to the right or the left, so that he and his sons may continue long in his kingdom in the midst of Israel.

This passage gives the kings of Israel the instruction to hand copy the Scriptures.  And from this passage, I see a couple of specific benefits for our lives. And from my own practice of this discipline, I see a few more.

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Developing A Life Plan (ESD)

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A personal Life Plan is perhaps one of the best ways to help keep your life on track, and is a tool that can help you become the person that God created you to be. Developing a plan for your life is a critical aspect of spiritual growth, because it lays our a tangible blueprint that can help you achieve the goals that God has for your life.

Unfortunately, most people never stop to accomplish this simple task.

Blueprints

I’ve maintained a personal Life Plan for several years now, initially starting to develop my own after reading about it on Michael Hyatt’s website. Once I got my plan in place, I wrote a blog post detailing it slightly. You can read that post here.

However, over the years, I’ve tweaked my plan to fit my life like a glove. And the more I utilize this tool, the better it becomes. This one simple activity can be traced to a significant portion of my personal and spiritual growth over the last few years.

Creating a personal Life Plan is simple, but it’s not easy. It’s simple because it’s your life. You already know your plans and goals. You know yourself better than anyone else and what you want to accomplish in life, how you impact the people and things most important to you, and where you’d like to see yourself in the next few years, and longer.

But it’s not easy. It takes some work. It requires some effort. However, it is well worth the time invested.