Ministry in Motion

“A person who talks too much gets into trouble;   A wise person learns to be quiet” 💬 The art of listening well. Day after day we miss important information, fail in vital conversations and jump to conclusions, because we don't listen well. We misunderstand and misinterpret messages and ideas because of our preconceptions, biases, wishes and our propensity to be, as John Wayne said in his movie Big Jake , ‘short on ears and long on mouth’   King Solomon wrote: a wise person learns to be quiet.   Good advise in our noisy society… #pkes   #MetroLifeChurch #MinMChurch #HipProverbs

In this chapter of John’s First Epistle we’ll see that pretty much all God wants from people is to: believe in Jesus and love each other. Too simple? Wimpy theology? Not deep enough? Heard it, did it - next? Consider all the ups and downs of life. Now try loving each other, day in and day out, in our chaotic, harsh, politically charged society. It's not enough to just  say  we love others - we gotta put that into action. What's that look like?   "... We know what true love looks like because of Jesus. He gave His life for us, and He calls us to give our lives for our brothers and sisters..."  1 Jn 3:16 An interactive discussion based on John's Epistle, Chapter 3. Come by and say hello September 26th @  7pm Directions #MinMChurch  #MetroLifeChurch

I don’t trust a theologian who dismisses the beauty of science or a scientist who doesn’t believe in the power of mystery.” ~  Brené Brown As a minister , I find value to listening to ppl from both wings of American politics. Conservative or liberal, both are wings on the same bald eagle . So I listen intently to each side’s thoughts and opinions. Mostly, I see value in the person who is speaking. In general, and broadly speaking, liberals and conservatives both consider that they alone are motivated by their caring for mankind, while at the same time opining their opponents don’t care as much. More often than not, when two opposing political groups fail to listen to each other, when they fail to engage, civilly, the net result is political polarization, condemnation and stagnation. With the help of my beautiful adventurous wife, I stumbled a cross this impressive TED Talk . That’s a polite way of saying she made me listen to it while I was in the car and driving. I w

A Human Experiment  Are your Christian evangelical ways a success or a failure? The answer is so very simple:  Do the disciples you’ve made look like Jesus?   Experiment on Christ-like formation is now over, please carry on... #pkes #MinMChurch #MetroLifeChurch

What sinners need...shall I say deserve, is?  Love and healing, not torture and death. We are worthy of God’s restoration not on the basis of personal merit but because of the image we bear - the very image of God…through and because of Christ.   Wednesday September 19th - an interactive discussion based on John's Epistle, chapter two. Come by and say hi @ 7pm Directions #MinMChurch  #MetroLifeChurch

And it shall come to pass in the last days, says God,  that I will pour out of My Spirit on all flesh… God didn’t stop His interaction with mankind by just sending his Son to dwell among us; he also sent his Spirit (Grk. Paraclete;   Lat. paracletus = advocate or helper), the Holy Ghost, to reside within us. The Holy Spirit has many attributes, His principal work isn’t to supplement what Jesus did but to help us apply what the Son did to and in our lives. As a regenerated man , I use to think:  How can I have more of the Holy Spirit?  I sang: "... more love, more power, more of You in my life ..."  🎶 But now I'm thinking: H ow can the Holy Spirit have more of me?   Because really, is't the mark of a Spirit filled Christ-follower someone who is increasingly drawn to and becoming like Jesus? Here's what that looks like:  You respond with blessing rather than cursing; you weep and rejoice with others; you work to build unity rather

The brunch menu at a trendy Houston Bistro read: Pete’s Colorado Omelet: Grilled Steak, Italian sausage, chorizo. ground chuck, bacon, bell peppers, onions and cheddar cheese — $13.95 The entree  description appealed to the carnivorous caveman in me that Sunday afternoon: meat, meat and more meat. Sigh. What a terrible disappointment. Pete’s omelet totally lacked meat.  Maybe I should have complained and been more like the Hebrew people who griped about their meals - they whined how hard they felt things were for them. The people of God were being instructed by Moses, but they are being led by God Himself. And still they grumbled, about life in the wilderness, where their RV camping lifestyle had lost it's luster.  Their Jewish quibbling sounded like this : " Our appetites have dried up. All we ever have to look at is manna, manna manna..."  The complaints of the thankless camper’s came up ... God heard them say: "If only someone would give us meat to ea

God of Love : When was the supreme nature of God revealed to us? Maybe, just maybe, it was at the moment of crucifixion when Jesus prays , “Father, forgive these people! They don’t know what they’re doing.”      This is grace demonstrated as extraordinary, incomparable love. God’s Pet Peeves We humans can be such a challenge. Even the God of love has His pet peeves with us. Sin. People who say they don’t believe in sin are moved to reaction at the mention of the word. Sin is a corrosive agent, it erodes relationships, infects relational closeness and replaces love with self-centeredness. It creates a creepiness between us and others; between us and God.   Solomon answers the question, what does the Lord hate, in the Book of Proverbs . We read:  A proud look, A lying tongue, Hands that shed innocent blood, A heart/mind that thinks up wicked plans, Feet that are swift in running to evil, A mouth that tells one lie after another, And one who sows discord among