Articles Tagged 'Difficult' (Page 2)

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Finding Contagious Joy

How can we move from contingent joy through courageous joy to contagious joy?

Max Lucado reminds us that contagious joy is rooted in courageous joy and not contingent joy, and our courageous joy is rooted in Jesus and faith in what God did through Jesus.

No Turning Back!

We can't go back, so let's go forward with faith and determination and hope!

Phillip Morrison reminds us to focus forward and let go of the past.

Re-Mastered!

What is really mastering us?

Phil Ware gets personal about the idols in his life and wanting to be re-Mastered by Jesus.

Think You Are a 'Hopeless Case'?

The Father is looking to use you, no matter how unlikely it seems possible!

Rubel Shelley reminds us that God does his best work through the most unlikely of people.

The Emmaus Option

How an old journey and a brief meal can help us reshape ourselves... and our world.

Ann Voskamp looks at our ravaged world this summer and uses the image of a ravaged countryside to help us remember the power of sharing scars with the one who bears our sin in his scars.

Reason to Smile

What such a dour and serious face?

Rubel Shelly reminds us that being dour doesn't help any of us make disciples or friends.

Can Jesus Survive Religion's Failures?

How has Jesus survived the messes his followers have made over the centuries?

Jesus and the gospel message about Jesus continues to be more resilient than the failures, foibles, and fractures among his people.

Don't Settle for a Small Destiny

What do we let define us, call or catastrophe?

Max Lucado from his book "You'll Get Through This" encourages us to not let our disappointments define us but instead let God's destiny for us define us.

His Hands Will Touch You, Too!

When you see this man, who do you see?

Max Lucado writes about the man born blind in John 9 and reminds us that even though no one else notices us as a person, Jesus does.

Calm in the Midst of Chaos

Do those old passsages really have something to say today?

Rubel Shelly reminds us about God's enfolding peace in the middle of life's worse storms and that this has been true for centuries.

A Prayer about Things We Cannot Change

Sometimes life is not fair with us, so what are we going to do about it?

Rubel Shelly shares an important reality about dealing with the hand we are dealt and living life recognizing that there are many things we cannot change but have to do the best we can with.

Do Not Be Afraid

What is there really to fear, but fear itself?

Phillip Morrison shares very good information, spiritual and scriptural application, on the fear mongering happening because of Ebola.

Nothing Left But the Center Stripe

What do you do when all the lanes seem closed?

When there seem to be no good answers, we need to have some strategies to help us deal with life's problems.

The Thing about Sorrow

What can we do when we can't walk in the shoes of another in grief?

Lisa Mikitarian shares from current events and from her own experience about the grief and sorrow those we love face and how to help them -- support them, come alongside of them to support, care, and love them.

Potholes Ahead

While we cannot accurately predict the future, for most of us, there will be potholes in our path!

Rubel Shelly reminds us to not get knocked off our path when we encounter potholes, even big bad ones that do damage, but to keep pressing on and persevering toward the call of God.

Community and Mission

Looking around can help us find our way forward!

Phil Ware continues the http://interimministrypartners.com team series on a church finding its mission and living it out so it can grow and be vital and make a difference.

Seasons in the Life of a Congregation

Are congregations supposed to go through a lifecycle.

Tim Woodroof begins a series of articles by the partners at Interim Ministry Partners http://www.interimministrypartners.com, on the seasons in the life of a church.

Discovering the Character of Your Church: Personal vs. shared Values

Why can't we just do it the way I see it?

Phil Ware continues the series on values and leadership, especially conflict in the leadership because they cannot discern operational, personal, strategic, theoretical, shared, and other types of values.

It All Begins with...

Why are we so afraid to do what God makes clear is our next step?

Phil Ware completes his two article series on being strong and courageous and being ready to see God do great things among us.

The 'How!' for hard Days

How do we get past the hardest of days?

Ann Voskamp and Joni Eareckson Tada team up to provide a beautiful and powerful reminder of the power of our words to change everything.

It's His Problem to Solve

So how do we obey these hard commands to not worry?

Rubel Shelly reminds us that trust in God to act is not passive, but an active life that does what is required, trusting that our difficulties and challenges are problems for God to solve.

What a terrible Day?

What really makes our days bad, hard, and difficult to swallow?

Steve Higginbotham reminds us that many of our most difficult days come from our negative and judgmental assumptions about why things happen.

Check Your Assumptions

Why trust in a God we cannot see and seems to never do us any miracles?

Ron Rose deals with a person who has had very difficult times and feels that prayer is not acted upon by God even if he hears them and that miracles are for times gone by.

Loving Someone You Can't Stand

How do we get past our dislike?

Alan Smith reminds us that we can overcome the problems of dislike and proximity, uncomfortability and familiarity through love in very practical steps.

The Story: The Hour of Darkness

What do you do when darkness descends and envelopes everything?

Phil Ware continues his series on The Story and this week focuses on the The Hour of Darkness, Jesus' time on the cross and his crucifixion and passion.