faithrunner

On Friday evening, February 28, I was inaugurated as the second President of B. H. Carroll Theological Institute . Even as I type the sentence it does not seem real. Those sorts of things are for people who excel in their profession and have a string of accomplishments that those in the organization honor and want in those who lead them. I have neither of those things, but here I am: humbled, thrilled, strangely confident, and certain I am where God wants me for this season of growth for the Institute and for my life. While I hold the academic credentials for the position, my time of service has been spent in the trenches of local church ministry not in an institution of higher learning. Those two realities may appear disconnected for most who would serve as a President of a seminary like I do, but for Carroll Institute, they are a perfect fit. Let me explain. Carroll Institute is not a typical model of seminary training . Actually, my academic training and my pastoral/teaching mi...

Get a copy here Norman Blackaby and I consider character a matter of the heart. This is why we wrote, Character: The Pulse of a Disciple's Heart . Here's our premise: Biblically, character is defined by the quality of our intimate relationship with God. In our relationship with God we find our moral compass, calling and spiritual strength to live in an intimate relationship with Him and to complete what God has called us to do. (19) Character is God's working in our lives to mold us into the image of his Son in order for us to be God's blessing to those around us. Our behavior--public or private--grows out of our relationship with God. The more intimate our relationship with God, the more we think and ultimately act like Jesus. The less connected we are to God's Spirit and Word, the more we live life on our own terms, and our resulting actions reflect more our natural desires and impulses than those of our Rescuer and Leader, Jesus, the Christ. Character ...

Jason, Amy, Mikey, Ginger, and me at the finish line The alarm went of at 2:45 a.m. Saturday morning. Within the hour I joined Amy Nash, Ginger Becker, and Mikey Whittiker in Jason Smith's FJ Cruiser. We were headed to the intersection of Highways 59 and 259 in Eastern OK for the second running of the Ouachita Switchbacks 25K and 50K .  Jason had seen the Facebook post by Tommy Brenan , the race director and founder, on Tuesday, and the three of us had taken the bait for a no-training, why-the-heck-not, it's-a-trail-run, adventure . The 4-hour drive to the Pushabee Trailhead near Big Cedar, OK, was filled with getting acquainted, two pit stops, and keeping everyone awake. " Sleep deprivation is part of ultrarunning " is one of my mantras so no one napped. We watched the sun and temperature rise to about 30 degrees when we turned off the highway and parked our car at a campsite to begin our trek through the Ouachita National Forest. One of the reasons I l...

Atop Camelback Mtn. in Phoenix Realizing a goal involves moving from where you are to where you want to be or become. That's obvious but it's not easy. To say, "I want to climb that hill," and you have never walked to the end of your street means you have a lot of work to do before you make the top. Pick any one of your goals you have set for yourself or ministry this year and if you take any time for reflection or planning, you will see what is involved it getting from here to there.  Reaching a goal includes transitions; those bridges of actions that carry you from one point of reality to the next. The effectiveness of these crossings will determine your success toward reaching your goal. I offered the first 3 Rules of Transition I have learned by leading people from a favored status quo to a preferred future in my first post, 6 Rules of Transition, 1-3 . I want to offer you the next three in this post.   Transition involves as series of conflicts which ...

 We were in Phoenix for the Fiesta Bowl, and before we came a friend who knew I like trails said, "Be sure and climb Camelback while you are there." So, I got online and found the destination. I found the Echo Trail was closed so that left the Cholla Trail.  On January 1 before the game we rode around Phoenix and found the trailhead off 64th Street. Literally hundreds of people were coming and going down the street to the trail. I began to appreciatehow so many took on the challenge of the climb on a day off. I resolved to make the summit the next morning. I rose before dawn grabbed a bagel and cup of coffee and headed to the trailhead. It was 40F and crystal clear. A little breeze kept me cool waking/jogging to the trailhead. My 5.5 hours of sleep after the game did not seem to affect me, and I got fired up about making the climb. I allotted 2hrs for the round trip hike to make it back to the room to check out with the group to make our flight. I made the ...

Climb to Camp Muir 2013 was a year of transition for me. I retired in June from local church ministry as Senior Pastor of Legacy Church, Plano, TX after 26  years of service with them. That same month I begin to serve with B. H. Carroll Theological Institute as Vice President for Advancement and then in October of this year I was elected to serve as their President . My climb of Mt. Rainier in August was easier than those changes in many ways. Transitions are part of life, and how we navigate them is the key to our success and our ability to stay faithful to God's call on our lives. Someone once said, "Change is easy. It's the transitions that will kill you." God is a God of change. God creates it and allows it to happen in our lives. As a servant leader who serves a group of people who are on mission with God, transitioning to adapt and embrace those changes is the bridge to how well you move forward together. Here are six rules of transition I have learn...

Worship through service at Minnie's Food Pantry Worship is a deeply personal thing, so I admit that what I am about to share may or may not ring true with you.  My hope is to encourage you to change your thinking from worship as attendance at a performance in a building on a scheduled day to an act of total attention to the One who loves you and gave his life for you.  Worship is an expression of our total being. Jesus calls us to love God "with all your soul, with all your heart, with all your mind, and with all your strength." ( Mark 12:29-31 ) So, sitting and occasionally standing for an hour and thirty minutes and listening to people perform on a stage is not really the heart of the matter. Yes, gather with your brothers and sisters to worship in word and song, but don't limit your worship to someone's manufactured experience for you. Here are my top 5 ways to worship . Three are individual, and two are in community. Immerse yourself in Scripture ...