Jon and Colin play vigorous racquetball every Wednesday and Friday at lunch. Every few weekends, they take time to talk and relax together. They have learned that their relationship doesn't grow without spending time simply enjoying each other's company. They have found a balance point between being friends for the purpose of playing racquetball together and being friends who simply have affection ...
A Daily Repentance Workout Six practical disciplines for finding focus in everyday life Frederica Mathewes-Green
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From the earliest centuries, Christians have identified certain practices that have been helpful to the "athlete in training." Here are some of them:
Fasting. People are beset by different temptations, but everybody eats. Restricting foods—not necessarily a total fast, but simply declining favorites for a time—can be a way of strengthening the "willpower muscle" to be ready when needed to handle a bigger temptation. An athlete doesn't lift weights just so he can lift more weights. Those healthy muscles are ready for any situation he meets. Turn down a doughnut today, and tomorrow you might be able to resist calling the driver in front of you an idiot.
Warning Signs for Pastors Learn how to tell when it’s time to take a step back and refocus. Maxie Dunham
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Obstacles to Spiritual Passion
Just as marriage can both enhance and detract from the romantic passion between a man and woman, so the pastoral role is both a boon and a bane to spirituality. We are wise to be alert to its possibilities, because being a pastor hinders closeness to God in several ways:
Busyness. Church administrative tasks and constant interaction with people—all to keep an organization humming—take time, attention, and enormous amounts of energy. That often leaves us little concentrated time with God. If we do attend to the spiritual disciplines in such a ministry, we often do so less because we desire closeness with God and more because we are supposed to. It's our job, all duty and no delight.
The Discipline of Fasting Spiritually directed fasting gives us supernatural power and a biblical perspective. Bob Coy
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There needs to be in all of our lives a balanced reflection of what we see in the Word of God. The heroes of the Bible—the mighty men and women of God who had an impact in society—they all fasted. The list includes Moses, David, Paul, Isaiah, Nehemiah, Esther, and Elijah, among many others. Of course, most notable on that list is Jesus Christ. Jesus set aside 40 days to fast before he began ...
Fasting in the 21st Century Here’s why it’s so important to withdraw from the trappings of our culture. Richard Foster
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The central idea in fasting is the voluntary denial of an otherwise normal function for the sake of intense spiritual activity. Remember, there is nothing wrong with these normal functions in life. It is just that there are times when we set them aside in order to concentrate on something more important.
Now, contrary to what most people think of when they ponder the subject of fasting, this article ...
When I started journaling, it was because I needed a "friend," and I wasn't doing well with the human kind. I had passed through several weeks of high stress, the kind that young pastors are never ready to face. I'd ignored the need for spiritual refreshment; I'd neglected the family; I'd allowed myself to become overwhelmed by the problems of people. There I was, one Saturday morning, crying uncontrollably ...
Too often, the missing element in God's business is God. "At church meetings, we often expect the pastor to pray book-end prayers—one at the beginning and one at the end—but then it's business as usual," said Sister Ellen Morseth, BVM. "Spiritual discernment is essential to the church, but it has been buried for years." That's why Morseth and Presbyterian minister Charles Olsen began Worshipful ...
Self-examination is a process whereby the Holy Spirit opens my heart to what is true about me. That is not the same thing as a neurotic, shame-inducing inventory. Instead it is a way of opening myself to God within the safety of his love so that I can authentically seek transformation. Confession embraces Christ's gift of forgiveness and restoration while setting ...
The practice of biblical discernment opens us up to listen to and recognize the voice and patterns of God's direction in our lives. It involves more than good judgment, open doors, and decision-making skills. Right discernment arises out of a relationship with God in prayer. It is founded on the reality of the Holy Spirit's presence within us.
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Taking time to listen to God, not hurrying to make a decision;
Printer view of these results
