What do you think of when I say “worship”? Do you think of smoke machines, colored lights, a band (with drums), and a few people holding microphones? Do you think of a grand cathedral, robes, incense, and hauntingly beautiful music with no instruments? Do you think of a group of people happily singing through a…
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Work and rest. It’s a balance that’s hard to get right. For many years, I leaned heavily to the side of all work and little rest. I shared about ways God is changing my heart in this post. Here are some of my favorite books on work, productivity, rest, & sleep (not affiliate links). NOTE:…
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Free will means we have a choice. God gave us this gift. When we choose not to obey God, that is called sin. The first sin recorded in Scripture and its consequences is called “original sin.” When we trust Jesus as our Lord and Savior, we are set free from sin and death. The Holy Spirit comes to live inside us, and we get to live with God forever. How does predestination work with free will?
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“Grace, mercy, and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord.” (2 Tim 1:2 NIV) Just as the Apostle Paul wrote this encouraging prayer to Timothy, it is my prayer for all who read this blog. This short prayer is also presented at the beginning of many of the epistles. Grace is receiving…
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Are you familiar with the P.R.A.Y. acrostic? It’s a simple way to learn how to pray. I didn’t make it up, and I’m not sure who did, but I use this tool frequently. Too often, our prayers become like letters to Santa Claus. I want this and this and this and this. God is not…
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I’ve never been very good at resting. I’ve made it my goal to use every minute of my time well, so I specialized in becoming more efficient (so I could do more). I constantly told myself that I had to finish whatever project I set myself before I could rest. Rest became a reward for…
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Jesus told us to “make disciples” (Matt. 28:19). Are we missing the mark when we teach? I’m afraid too many classes are training Bible scholars rather than making disciples. There’s an important difference. The easiest way to teach a Bible lesson (for any age) is to teach the facts. We teach a Bible story and…
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There are several Bible reading plans. The current trend is to read the entire Bible in one year. There’s nothing wrong with that, but it’s not my favorite. I get behind schedule and then stress out because it takes SO MUCH to catch up again. No thanks. So, what plan do I use?
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Summer planning can be stressful! Even if you plan annual events, there’s always the worry that you forgot something. You can do two things to make sure each event/activity is better than the last.
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The birth of a child is a great opportunity for the church to minister to a family. I hope your church has in place ways to support, encourage, and minister to families welcoming children through birth and adoption.
Some churches include baby dedications as part of that process. A few denominations have a script already provided for these occasions. Others are left to their own devices. If this is you, how do you write a baby dedication script? What elements do you need to include? I’ve provided some suggestions below. I’ve also included the sample script I wrote for my church.
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