Sheep and Shepherds
Preparing for next Sunday's Video talk, which we're filming later today, I found a great deal of interesting detail from this source, reproduced at www.baptistbiblebelievers.com Manner And Customs of Bible Lands by Fred H. Wight Copyright @ 1953 CHAPTER EIGHTEEN - Shepherd ...
Francis Chan – What Do You Want To Be Known For?
"If this was your last day on earth, how would people remember you? What do you want to be known for? Where do you find your identity? John was 'the disciple Jesus loved.'"
Helping Your Church Grow In Spiritual Maturity
When we ‘give our lives to Christ’ we don’t just give him our past sins, we actually die to the old Βίος (Bios) life in order to receive the everlasting Ζωή (Zoe) life!
a rally cry that cuts through distraction and regret:
“I focus on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize…”
Three simple but powerful moves: Focus. Forget. Forward.
If you’ve been shrinking back, playing it safe, or just trying to survive— I believe God is saying it’s time to dream again. Not just following your dreams, but stepping into God’s dreams for your life, which are always bigger than you think.If you want to walk in God’s dream, your first move is to put His dream ahead of yours. When you do, you’ll see Him open doors, pour out resources and somehow orchestrate events you couldn’t make happen in a million years. I know it’s true because I have seen it happen so many times I had to pinch myself that I wasn’t dreaming when it happened!
Gordon MacDonald says, “I’m of the opinion that busyness is a deeper threat to the soul than pornography ever was.”
Egypt operates under a false god—the god of toil and endless striving. But Yahweh is the God of Sabbath, of presence, of blessing.
Even today, we face “Pharaohs”—systems and mindsets that push us to strive harder. But in a Year of Expansion, we are not called to make it happen by force. We are called to trust God
Balance, by definition, means finding an equilibrium between competing forces. It assumes life should be a delicate juggling act where everything—work, family, ministry, personal time—exists in perfect harmony.
But life doesn’t work that way – especially if you are carrying a cross (Mark 8:34). Aiming at balance is an impossible standard that leaves you frustrated and exhausted.
Can you think of one person in Scripture who lived a “balanced” life?
“If this was your last day on earth, how would people remember you? What do you want to be known for? Where do you find your identity? John was ‘the disciple Jesus loved.'”
The Bible teaches that God communicates in many ways, including dreams:
“For God does speak—now one way, now another—though no one perceives it. In a dream, in a vision of the night, when deep sleep falls on people… He may speak in their ears and terrify them with warnings, to turn them from wrongdoing and keep them from pride.” (Job 33:14-17)
In a world where people seek meaning for life through astrology, psychics, and new-age philosophies, dreams remain a direct line from heaven—if we learn to interpret them biblically.
Dreams are more than just subconscious processing of daily issues —they can contain divine messages. The Bible is filled with accounts of God speaking through dreams!
“You MUST believe in the power of the message…” CH Spurgeon
“You must believe in the power of that message to save people..”