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Showing posts from May, 2011

There I said it: On our love affair with books

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I know. We’re in love with books these days. The Bible? Not so much. I am often asked by ministry leaders, “What are you reading?” I smile and deadpan, “The Bible. It’s an amazing book. It’s really changing my life.” (This is where my wife starts kicking me under the table.) They’re like, “Well of course the Bible, but what other books are you reading?” I continue: “No, seriously, I’m reading the Bible and trying to learn how to make disciples like Jesus.” Insert long awkward pause here. Often the conversation changes subjects or ends. Interesting, ain’t it? Maybe it’s my coffee breath. I’m not trying to be a self-righteous jerk. I’m simply trying to answer the question—and have an honest and thoughtful conversation. Don’t get me wrong. I’m not anti-books. I’m not trying to throw all books except the Bible under the bus. I’ll read/listen to about 12-15 books this year. I used to read about 30 books a year. But in an effort to make the Bible my first and primary text in life,

It's the way you finish that becomes your legacy

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If you don't plan to finish well, you probably won't.  Here's how you can... For the last several presidential elections, political pundits have been talking about the critical importance of the final 72 hours of a campaign. That is, after spending millions of dollars and countless hours of energy campaigning all over the United States, the fate of an election often boils down to the last 72 hours. In a presidential race in these days, if you snooze—or even let up just a little during the last 72 hours—you could very well lose! To truly finish this life well, you must run strong all the way to the end. Starting well is beneficial. Staying the course is critical. But it's the way you finish that becomes your legacy. No matter what age or season of life you're in right now, finishing this life well is something to which you should give some careful thought and intentional planning.  The Challenge of Finishing Well is a twenty-eight page interactive workbook

The more isolated you are...

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"Sin demands to have a man by himself. It withdraws him from the community. The more isolated a person is, the more destructive the power of sin over him...." —Dietrich Bonhoeffer, from this article.

It takes way more than vision to be a spiritual leader...

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Using people to accomplish your vision doesn't make you a leader.  It makes you user . I dare you to ponder this . More to ponder and wrestle, IF you have the guts... *  Jesus wasn't a leader. *  Current conventional wisdom on leadership. *  The biblical definition of leadership. * The fullest expression of spiritual leadership. You, Me, and Coffee Monday...   Let me encourage you and and make you think 1 stinking time a week (usually Monday morning) with a virtual  Cup O' Joe with Bill  in your email inbox.  Two  Simple Steps... 1.  Go here and submit your email . 2.  Go to your email and click the Feedburner confirmation link . You can unsubscribe at any time with no questions asked simply by clicking the unsubscribe link at the bottom of any email you receive from  Cup O' Joe with Bill . Honest. You got nothing to lose. Try it.

This wild ride continues...

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Thank you for stopping by to enjoy this May 2011 pictorial update. Click on the images below to enlarge for viewing, reading, and praying. To download the two page PDF,  go here . Thank you for reading, praying, and sharing! What a fun and fruitful adventure we're on with you, God, and Cadre Ministries. Make no mistake about it: We need you more than ever. For more information about how you can partner with God, the Allisons, and Cadre Ministries,  go here . To make a secure online tax-deductible donation,  go here .

The Disciplemaking Genius of Jesus—Part 1

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At the tail end of his earthly ministry, the resurrected Jesus appeared to the eleven disciples and commanded them to “make disciples.” I know. You’ve heard it a thousand times. But this time, I dare you to stop and ponder it for a moment. How would Jesus’ eleven disciples have understood his command to “make disciples”? If you’ll graciously allow me more than a little poetic license here, I’d like to take a shot at answering that question. When Jesus commanded his original eleven disciples to “make disciples,” I suggest that they would have heard something like this...

Isn't She Lovely? Ivy Alyse Allison

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She's here!  May 2, 2011 at 9:18 AM, at 7 pounds and 9 ounces and 19.5 inches, Ivy Alyse Allison came into our lives.  ( You may remember the fun we had last December announcing that she was on the way .) Celebrate God's goodness with us! I invite you to listen to one of my favorite songs (immediately below—great lyrics and music) and to enjoy a few pictures of God's gracious gift (that's what Ivy means) to our family. ( Song here .) Just moments after her birth: Stacy and I are thrilled.  Ivy... not so much.  (You can enlarge any photo below by clicking it.) Finally, Sadey is a big sister.  She called, "First to hold the new baby," last December.  Sadey was first. Libby—also know in the family as "baby hog."  Not there is any fighting going on or anything. Josey hoping the game of hot potato doesn't end with her changing the diaper. Aubrey happy and surprised... or maybe Ivy dirtied her first diaper.  Not sure which... o