Don’t study the Bible; let the Bible study you. God’s word is alive and active, sharper than a razor blade, able to separate our soul from our spirit; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of our hearts (Hebrews 4:12). Yet, we come to the Bible to study it, as if it’s a text book. When [...]
Filed under: Uncategorized | Tagged: Bible, Bible study, God, God's word, scalpel, scripture, study | 11 Comments »
“This, then, is how you should pray: ’Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us today our daily bread.’” (Matthew 6:9-11, NIV) Why would Jesus instruct us to ask for one of the basic provisions of life immediately following our request for His Father’s will [...]
Filed under: devotional | Tagged: God's provision, God's will, prayer | 2 Comments »
Sunday morning my oldest daughter (age six) came to sit with me halfway through a morning of worship with our High School Students. As she snuggled next to me, with my hands already raised in worship, I whispered in her ear, “You know how you come to me and raise your hands up to me – [...]
Filed under: parenting | Tagged: children, family, fatherhood, teachable moment, worship | 1 Comment »
The spiritual discipline of silence is essential for hearing the whisper of God’s voice telling us the reality of who we are – the value and strength we possess. It is this calling of God that leads us to the outward expression of our true identity. But we must be willing to enter into a [...]
Filed under: Uncategorized | Tagged: calling, discipline, identity, silence, spiritual disciplines | 1 Comment »
If only the “pastor” is bringing Jesus to the people, the church will die. The people must bring Jesus to the people – the people at work; the people in their neighborhoods; the people at home; the people in the marketplace; the people at church. When the people bring Jesus to the people, the church will thrive!
Filed under: church, discipleship | 2 Comments »
It was 4:15am when I heard my name spoken in a very loud, bold, and firm manner. No, it wasn’t Stefani or someone standing outside my open window. I awoke as I answered back to the voice in a loud voice, “What.!” Yah, I felt a little silly when I realized I had awoken my [...]
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One of the most frustrating comments I can hear from a parent or someone older than 35 is “I don’t want to serve in Student Ministries because the students prefer to have leaders that are young”. I don’t think these students would agree. Each statement below is written by a different student pertaining to their [...]
Filed under: church, discipleship, leadership, youth ministry | Tagged: small groups, spiritual formation, spiritual growth, spiritual mentoring, spiritual transformation, youth | 3 Comments »
I often brag that we have the best small group leaders in the country. A statement I truly believe. The concentration and quality of our leaders is so great that other pastors comment to me on them. I’m aware that other passionate, committed, missional small group leaders exist around the country, but finding the concentration [...]
Filed under: church, discipleship, leadership, youth ministry | Tagged: ministry, pastoral leadership, small groups, spiritual formation, spiritual growth, spiritual mentoring, spiritual transformation, youth | 3 Comments »
What does spiritual formation look like in a persons’ life? How can we know when spiritual formation is occurring? Perhaps, one of the most effective ways is to capture short clips from the larger story of people’s lives. This is exactly what we did with the students who chose to participate in our small group [...]
Filed under: church, discipleship, youth ministry | Tagged: small groups, spiritual formation, spiritual growth, spiritual mentoring, spiritual transformation, transformation, youth | 1 Comment »
As I see it, high school students have what it take to be disciples of Jesus who are making disciples. I think the students they lead in our ministry would agree. Just read below and I think you will too. Each of the statements below is written by a different student pertaining to their small [...]
Filed under: church, discipleship, youth ministry | Tagged: small groups, spiritual formation, spiritual growth, spiritual mentoring, youth | Leave a Comment »
ron@restorenova.com
