Love and War

Recently, my wife and I have been taking some couples from our church through the study, Love and War by John and Stacey Eldgredge.  It has been amazing at how much we are learning through this honest and straight forward approach to our relationship with God and with one another.  I would highly recommend you visit Ransomed Heart ministries and get the book, participant’s guide, even a leader’s guide and go through the video series with a few other couples.  It could change everything!

Don’t forget that I only post here every now and then…my main page is Pastor2Pastors.com

Blessings,
Keith

GO TO Pastor2Pastors.com

I have a new webpage for Pastors….I’ll be posting here occasionally about relationships, but primarily at Pastor2Pastors so please check it out.

Blessings,

Keith

No man is an Island

“Whoever isolates himself seeks his own desire; he breaks out against all sound judgment.” Proverbs 18:1 (ESV)

When we isolate ourselves from our support system of family/friends, we are really being selfish. If we are to become al that God wants us to be, we must trust a friend with our heart and take guidance from them at times.

No man (or woman) is an island! We were created for communion with our Creator as well as other created beings. We need the wisdom of those who’ve gone before us as well as the boldness of those who challenge our thinking to help us become better. What would happen if we didn’t ever take instruction and advice from a friend who has my best interest at heart?

“Good Leadership”

Good Leadership is a channel of water controlled by God; He directs it to whatever ends He chooses. –Proverbs 21:1 (The Message)

Wow!  Good Leadership is defined by the world in a “results-drven” or “money-driven” way most of the time.   Even by some prominent Christians as “Influence” or “Power”. (which is partially true)  This verse describes leadership that is “good” as God-Controlled Power/Influence, or “Power Submitted”.  Not what we normally think of when looking at most leaders today.

What if the “old-school” existing leaders would submit and share some authority and wisdom of experience with the younger “emerging”

No Room for Fear

“There is no room for fear in love.” –1 John 4:18a (Message Bible)

What do we fear? Why do we fear? Honest answers to these questions can tell you many things about a person. Do we fear man more than God? What do our actions say to back that up?

Later in 1 John 4, it says, “Fear is crippling…” To be crippled in this sense is to be limited. Basically, when we fear (or live a life of fear) we limit how much God can work in our lives. (note: He’s God and He can do all things, so we really can’t truly limit His actions) We really limit ourselves by the exact proportion to which we give ourselves away to God and others! If our mission is to Love God and Love Others —and it’s

Funny TV Story!

I just wanted to post this quick and funny story that REALLY did happen to us!
Last Sunday we visited a church gathering where, in the course of a conversation, we were challenged by a lady to do something we had already been talking about lately…to stop watching Television for a week. The reason for this is to see just how much time we waste worshipping the tube! So we took this challenge seriously and didn’t turn the TV on for the entire week. Not just any week, but the week of all the season premiers of some of our favorite shows.
All week, we seemed to have more time to read, study, talk and work on cleaning out the basement, getting ready for an upcoming and unavoidable yard sale.
After working all evening on Friday, we decided to watch the season premier of “Numbers” at 10:00 p.m.

Relationships and Blood Pressure

I am learning the value of the connections between relationships and blood pressure over the last few days.  There are many factors about our relationships that play a part in our overall health.  I’m not sure if there has been any official studies on how our relationships increase or decrease our systolic and diastolic numbers, but I’m convinced there is a connection.

First, let me say that my lovely wife and I have not had any abnormal arguments or disagreements.  I state this to dispel any theories that I am referring to our relationship as the source of my high blood pressure issue.  Of course, like all couples, we have our moments, but in case the in-laws stumble upon my blog, let me assure you we are very much in love with one another and things are okay in our relationship.

Labels: “A sticky situation”

This post is a result of a friend’s suggestion that we write a book together about our “church without a name”.  Thanks Rick, for your suggestion…who knows, maybe this will be the future introduction to our “book”.  :)

I was asked by someone the other day regarding the name of the church gathering I attended.  I love it when I get asked about our church’s name because it gives me the opportunity to share about my “fellowship of the heart” with others.  I also hate it when asked this question, because I feel like most folks think we are attending some type of “cult” or something.  ”drink the koolaid! drink the koolaid!”  Nothing could be further from the truth!

Wives: How to follow the leader

Ephesians 5:22-24  Wives, understand and support your husbands in ways that show your support for Christ. The husband provides leadership to his wife the way Christ does to his church, not by domineering but by cherishing. So just as the church submits to Christ as he exercises such leadership, wives should likewise submit to their husbands. The Message (MSG)

The hardest job in the world for wives is not to “understand your husband”, but to “support your husband in ways that show your support for Christ.”  Sometimes I wonder if we husbands understand ourselves, yet the bible instructs wives to understand their husbands.  I know many of you wives are thinking, “my husband is easy to understand.”  While this may be true on the surface, there are many factors playing part with most men that wives need to attempt to understand.  How did he relate to his father growing up?  What damage was done to his ”fragile

Husbands: Loving is Leading

Ehpesians 5:25-28  “Husbands, go all out in your love for your wives, exactly as Christ did for the church—a love marked by giving, not getting. Christ’s love makes the church whole. His words evoke her beauty. Everything he does and says is designed to bring the best out of her, dressing her in dazzling white silk, radiant with holiness. And that is how husbands ought to love their wives. They’re really doing themselves a favor—since they’re already “one” in marriage.”  The Message (MSG)

Many start with the “wives submit to the husband as unto Christ” passage and use it to guilt women into blindly following a wimp of a man.  I choose to start this post with the husband because I firmly believe that the passages in Ephesians 5 are so misunderstood and abused.  I have