Just discovered this Ted video with Billy Graham talking about technology and faith. He’s humorous, engaging, and helpful about how to deal with technology in the future. He’s talking to a secular audience in 1998, but his words are still practical.

Enjoy some time listening to this honored man:

I had an opportunity this week thanks to Casey Graham to speak to a group of executive pastors. I was asked to give my perspective as a senior pastor, since each of them report to one. I thought you might also be interested in what I shared. Since I was addressing other issues in addition to this, I was limited on time, so I have added a few since I spoke with them.

Here are 10 things you may not know about a senior pastor:

School is back in session. Summer is drawing to a close. The excitement of fall, though not evident in the weather yet, is in the air at Grace Community Church. We launch a new series this week and it’s one I’m very excited about, because I sense the need so strongly.

5ive is a series about five hidden killers of our walk with Christ. These are things we may try to pretend don’t exist in our life, but if we are honest, we know they can destroy our joy, peace, and quality of life with God and others.

Do you struggle most with guilt, anger, jealousy, greed or pride? Take your pick. Each week we will address another issue.

This is the series you will not want to miss…and you’ll want to invite your friends.

Join us as we learn some principles to guide our hearts and lives to better places.

Elijah had been used of God to hold back rain from the people for over 3 years, because of their sins. Obviously, he was not well liked as a preacher. I can only imagine the stress he experienced during those years. Something struck me recently, however, that seemed to further complicate Elijah’s situation.

Consider 1 Kings 18:1 “After a long time, in the third year, the word of the LORD came to Elijah: “Go and present yourself to Ahab, and I will send rain on the land.”

According to a couple NT passages, this “After a long time” was actually 3 ½ years. The famine was 3 ½ years long. For 3 ½ years, the people apparently continued to sin, Elijah continued to hold on by faith, but God said nothing. God was apparently inactive, not speaking, even to His great servant Elijah.

Have you ever been there? Has the silence of God in your life ever been eerily strong?

Imagine you had been faithfully serving…God is using you…you are in constant communication with Him…and then suddenly…everything is quiet.

The separation must have seemed unbearable. Elijah is un-liked and unpopular; he’s an outcast from the people and the One he trusted most was seemingly absent. God would soon do a miracle through Elijah, but during this period, all Elijah could do was wait.

If you have been believer for very long at all, you have had periods where it seems God is nowhere to be found. We often call them periods of spiritual dryness. Sometimes I refer to it as being in a spiritual funk.

What should we do during the times of silence, before the miracles of God come through for us?

I have the opportunity to sit with many people who are experiencing disappointment in life. Many times, even when we are doing the best we know how, we find ourselves disappointed with where we find ourselves in life at the time…

We don’t get the job…
The ministry doesn’t appear to be working…
The marriage unravels…
The children go astray…
The business fails…
The spouse cheats…

Having faced disappointment many times in life, I’ve learned a few things about handling these times.

Here are 7 pieces of wisdom for the disappointments of life:

Inactivity rarely produces anything…
Waiting on God doesn’t always mean doing nothing…

Jesus said, “My time has not yet come” (John 2:4)… He was in a time of waiting…yet He continued to act on what He could do…

Do what you know to do today…
Take initiative towards change you know you should make…

In Joshua 3 they had to get in the water before it started to part…You may have to get in the water first, before you start to see results…

Create action…it is often then God begins to reveal the destination He is taking you towards…

What action do you need to take today?

Free Fridays are back…at least for this week!

I have given this book away before, but it is too good not to give you another opportunity. Andy Andrews is one of my favorite authors. With his books The Noticer and Traveler’s Gift, he has become known as a master story teller. His own personal story is pretty amazing. The Heart Mender will further his reputation as an author. Win or not, don’t miss this book!

Watch this short video as Andy explains what you can expect from The Heart Mender:

Amazing Grace, how sweet the sound, that saved a wretch like me… I have always loved that song. As one who has experienced so much grace in my life, no other song better captures my heart when I think of God’s love for me.

Chances are good you know the song and love it equally. Did you know it originated in Sierra Leone?

I learned during our time in Sierra Leone that the song was written in this country….

One single act of courage can change a life…often many lives. My trip to Africa, watching the Christian work that has started among a highly Muslim country, where Christians are not always welcomed, I was reflecting on some of those acts of courage we often have to make in life. When God gives a person the burden to do Christian work in a Muslim nation, I assure you it takes a great deal of courage. On our trip, we saw the results of such willingness to walk by faith.

No doubt, if you live a “normal” life there will be decisions you have to make that take courage. You will often have to walk by faith, be willing to risk everything, and trust God for the results.

Here are 10 random examples I came up with…

This woman told our team that she prayed 40 years for a church to come to Compound Village where she lives in Sierra Leone. Africa for Jesus recently opened Believers Church and it is the first ever Christian Church in a village with over 3,000 people. I was amazed by her faith and consistent prayer. [...]