upward & inward

Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked or stand in the way of sinners or sit in the seat of mockers. But his delight is in the law of the LORD, and on his law he meditates day and night. He is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither. Whatever he does prospers. ( Psalm 1:1-3 ) I have had repeated conversations lately regarding the importance of seeking God's power as He calls us to be His own. In a previous post , I wrote of this importance - and its difficulty.  Since then, I read Pastor John Piper's approach to avoiding the besetting sins that trip us up. He writes here of how this approach helps with our approach to lust.  However, Pastor John's later writing rightly applies this to any thinking that leads us beyond the boundaries of God's moral will for us.  Here is a summary from Pastor Piper: "I go on the attac...

Prayer Journal - August 29, 2012 "Effective Meeting tonight with council and the consultant" October 19, 2012 - "Thank You for a complete assessment!" As a transition begins, it is SO helpful to know a few things from the congregation, including: 1) Where do we think we are? 2) Where do we think we're going? As a pastor leaves, especially a long-term pastor, it helps to "look into the mirror" and we sought to accomplish this in two ways.  First, we decided to put a congregational survey in place.  During preparation and delivery, the company we used was thorough and helpful.  The questions covered a wide range of topics but the primary topics about which we were most concerned were:  Evidence of Conflict, Governance, Spiritual vitality, Hospitality, Ministry Readiness, Worship/music, and Morale.  In addition, the assessment offered an opportunity for the congregation to state what their preferences were for the characteristics and strengths o...