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This guest post by Kevin Schrock is for anyone who is struggling, suffering, and feeling crushed.  "Now may the Lord of peace himself give you his peace at all times and in every situation. The Lord is with you all." 2 Thessalonians 3:16    Every word of this account is true.    All was lost.    Howling winds buffeted the tiny raft, threatening to capsize it, while rain and sleet burned the man's eyes. His every fiber strained to keep the jagged cliffs at bay, as the wind's incessant cackle mocked him, "All is lost. All is death." Renewing his effort would drown out the din for a time, but weariness would overtake him, and he would crumble once again, with the wind continuing its cruel call. Years had passed, blending into one another, but always following the same cycle. Maybe it would be easier to give in. He never made any headway, never would. Maybe he should just let the wind and the current carry him into the pass where the darkness reigned; where desp

"A man cannot only preach, he must also live. And the life that he lives, with all its little peculiarities, is one of two things: either it emasculates his preaching or it gives it flesh and blood. But in either case it does something."   —J.H. Bavinck This begs the question: Is your way of life fleshing out your preaching—or undoing your preaching? It's a fair question. I invite you to join me in asking that question to ourselves. Think about this.  Real understanding and insight doesn't come from listening to what people say, but how they live. If you want to know who someone really is, watch what they do—not what they say. "For the Kingdom of God is not just a lot of talk; it is living by God's power." —1 Corinthians 4:20 More here... if you dare: *  Rethinking preaching * You can't make disciples from a stage . *  Why a biblical worldview is not enough . * What if church looked like this once in a while ? * Rockstar Preachers ? (Note the post da

  More here on the power of friendships... *  Why friendships matter. *  So many people trying to find friendship and community . * So much talk about friendship and so little meaningful friendships . * Start by asking God to show you WHO to pull close of friendship—like this. * How Jesus made friends—and how you can follow His example . You must be a real friend to be reading this. We thank God for YOU! Let me encourage you most Mondays ! Track with me on social media! Instagram            Facebook             Twitter       

A day exploring  Jesus and disciplemaking  with college students who are studying for ministry  at Moody Bible Institute. (Wondering what Kavanah is? Go here. )   The more students are engaged, the more they can learn.   (If video above doesn't appear,  go here. ) The more they learn, the greater the chance that they'll be transformed by Jesus.   The more they are transformed by Jesus, the greater possibility that they will change the way they live in the world.   The more they change the way they live in the world, the more they will change the world...  one heart at a time... just like Jesus . Hey! You've read all the way to the end. You must be a real friend. Thank you. Here's a fun short video from my 11-year-old daughter for my birthday last week:  )  Track with me on social media! Instagram            Facebook             Twitter       Let me encourage you most Mondays !

(Full disclosure: I've never done anything like this before. But then again, I've never been 60 before.) (Above: Coaster Side 1) For my 60th birthday on April 23, 2023, I am inviting you to support my favorite 501(c)3 not-for-profit disciplemaking ministry: Cadre Missionaries . Let's have some fun with this.  For anyone who donates  $6 , $16 ,  $60 , or  $600 , I will gladly mail you the limited edition birthday bash coaster/keepsake/prayer reminder (see circular pics above and below)—as a way to THANK YOU for supporting the Allisons and our disciplemaking mission with Cadre Missionaries! Go here to donate securely online . Or you can mail a check to:  Cadre Missionaries PO Box 278 Sycamore, IL 60178  (add note: "Happy Birthday") (Below: Coaster side 2) (Yes, I'm getting older, but I'm also becoming more "juicy" and "fresh" like in Psalm 92:14 above baby.) But wait! There's more: The first 50 people to donate $6, $16, $60, or $600

 In an amazing experiment, scientists set out to test an animal’s survival instincts. The scientists dropped a rat into a large jar of water that had been placed in complete darkness. They wanted to see how long the animal would continue to swim before it finally gave up and allowed itself to drown. What did they find? They found that the rat usually lasted little more than three minutes in complete darkness. Then the scientists dropped another rat into the same kind of water-filled jar, but instead of putting it in total darkness, they allowed one tiny ray of light to shine onto the jar. Under those conditions, the rat kept swimming for thirty-six hours. That’s over seven hundred times longer! It seems that because the animal had a ray of hope, it continued to swim. Don't miss the point... God wants YOU to be that ray of hope and light to the people “swimming” in your sphere of influence in your everyday life—at work, home, school, church, and your neighborhood.  But where do you