Blogs for Christian Living
Read some devotional thoughts from prior church planters & lifelong pastors. Mark & Dallas share what they learn daily in their journey walking with God.
Be inspired to live in the fullness of purity that God has set as the standard for His children. Be encouraged to walk in the power of the Holy Spirit and the implications of living in relationship with God.
We were at a hotel some time ago, and after checking in I grabbed a luggage cart and rolled it out to the car. It rolled just fine. I loaded our bags on the cart and then started to roll it into the hotel to our room. It didn’t roll nearly as well. In fact, it was a struggle to get it up to the room. Why? Because one of the tires wasn’t fully inflated. When it had no load on it, the lack of air wasn’t evident. Once I put the weight of our luggage on the cart, without the proper amount of air in all four tires, it…
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The couple had consulted specialists and decided that humanly there was no hope for them to bear a child of their own. But the desire was deep; a longing for something that they couldn’t have. So they petitioned the Lord. Pleading for a long time, until one day, they received the answer. The desire of their heart had been granted by the Creator of the Universe. There was a baby growing in the womb of a woman who was sure that she could not have children. This scenario is repeated throughout Scripture from Genesis to the Gospels. Just a few examples include Abram and Sarai who longed for a child…
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I function best when I work from a to-do list. Generally, I have an ongoing to-do list that I’m adding things to the bottom of while crossing off completed tasks. It gets rewritten every couple of weeks when the paper is filled or enough things have been crossed off that it’s time to start afresh. There are times that I have to create sublists, or separate to-do lists, for specific projects such as we have going for remodeling the house. My lists are not well organized, nor prioritized. However, they are vital to effectively completing the necessary tasks in the ministry and life in general. When I don’t have a…
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I like meat. Meat and potatoes or rice, supplemented with a few vegetables for color. If there is no meat, it does not qualify as a meal in my opinion. Growing up, my mom would plan meals around the meat. For example, if grilled chicken was the meat, then she would plan sides to complement grilled chicken. This has continued to be the pattern for my entire life. The Power of Protein One time while traveling, we were staying with a host that, while not a full vegetarian, tended towards a more vegetable based diet. The meals she made us were good, but after several days, my brain wasn’t working…
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We recently visited some friends. Towards the beginning of the visit, our hosts were wanting to plan lots of activities. They love to share their home and the many incredible things that are nearby. It’s fun to do new things and experience God’s creation in their area of the country. As great as the exploring is, we wanted to just be with our friends. Dallas said to the wife, “It’s okay to not plan lots of activities, we can just be together.” The depth of friendship allows us to be together without having something to do all of the time. Deep Friendships There are relationships that we enjoy because of…
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We got a new air conditioner for the ministry’s fifth wheel trailer that we’ve called home for a while. The unit weighs about 100 pounds. Light enough that I can pick it up and move it around, but heavy enough that I can’t pick it up very high. That’s where the issue came in. I needed to get this hundred pound object onto a roof that is about twelve feet off the ground. I thought about asking someone to help. But before I inconvenienced anyone, I wanted to think through all possible options of getting it done by myself. I knew a dead-lift was not possible. I’m neither that tall,…
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In my life’s journey, I’m continually learning and growing. One of the areas that I’ve been developing in is gaining a better understanding of Father God’s heart for His children. He has an enormous heart of love for all of His kids. Through our work with ministers and exposure to various church bodies, I’ve cried tears over things I see His kids doing and know that He grieves these same things at an even deeper level. One area of my life that has caused me to know more about God’s incredible love is being a father. From the first time that I held my oldest to today, I’ve found there…
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“You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.” (Matthew 5:14-16, ESV) When I was younger, one of the things I enjoyed on the long drives to my grandparents’ houses for Christmas was seeing the country houses that put lights out for decorations. It broke up the monotony of the…
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We were driving down the interstate, having just crossed from Colorado into Kansas shortly before five on a Friday afternoon. Suddenly, we lost power and started blowing smoke out of the tailpipe. My initial thought was, “Oh no! I’ve got to get safely to the side of the road.” The words that came out of my mouth were, “Lord, this is your truck. What do you want to do with your truck?” Very quickly after asking the question, the smoke stopped blowing, and the power came back. The message center on the dash alternated between two messages: “Exhaust filter 90% full” and “Exhaust system maintenance required – see dealer now”. …
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Every location has its own unique weather patterns, but everywhere you can live will have storms. Some places have hurricanes while others deal with tornadoes. There are places that experience sandstorms and others that get snow storms. The winds will blow, and the storm will rage, at some point, everywhere. As there are storms in the physical world, there are also storms in the spiritual. Some storms are emotionally driven, while others are trials or sufferings. A storm may bring an abundance of hardship or feel like a severe drought. Whatever the storms that come your way, they will be easier to navigate and get through if you have prepared…
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