Equipped Church Blogs

  The Boy, The Giant, and The Ordinary Armor “Courage is resistance to fear, mastery of fear—not absence of fear.”  Mark Twain “He who is not courageous enough to take risks will accomplish nothing in life.”   Muhammad Ali “It is not the strength of the body that counts, but the strength of the spirit.”   J. R. R. Tolkien “Inaction breeds doubt and fear. Action breeds confidence and courage. If you want to conquer fear, do not sit home and think about it. Go out and get busy.” Dale Carnegie “Courage is the most important of all the virtues, because without courage, you can’t practice any other virtue consistently.” Maya Angelou “You gain strength, courage, and confidence by every experience in which you really stop to look fear in the face.” Eleanor Roosevelt      There he was, a ruddy young shepherd standing before King Saul, about to face his greatest challenge. As the Philistine giant Goliath mocked a...

  Catharsis: The Hidden Dangers of Venting “The man who is master of his passions is reason’s slave.”  attributed to Cyril Connolly “Our bodies are our gardens, to the which our wills are gardeners: so that if we will plant nettles, or sow lettuce, set hyssop and weed up thyme, supply it with one gender of herbs, or distract it with many, either to have it sterile with idleness, or manured with industry—why, the power and corrigible authority of this lies in our wills” William Shakespeare “If you wouldn’t write it and sign it, don’t say it.”  Earl Wilson “Be careful with your words. Once they are said, they can be only forgiven, not forgotten.”  Unknown “The tongue is the only tool that gets sharper with use.”  Washington Irving “Speech is silver, silence is golden.” Arabic Proverb “The greatest remedy for anger is delay.”  Seneca “We are masters of the unsaid words,...

  Trusting God vs. Making Risky Decisions “God is God. Because he is God, He is worthy of my trust and obedience. I will find rest nowhere but in His holy will that is unspeakably beyond my largest notions of what He is up to.” Elisabeth Elliot “Presumption is expecting God to join our plans rather than seeking His plans.” Oswald Chambers “Faith is not jumping to conclusions; it is stepping out on the promises of God. Presumption is acting without the assurance of His leading” Warren Wiersbe “Faith is deliberate confidence in the character of God whose ways you may not understand at the time.” Oswald Chambers “Presumption whispers false assurances where faith should seek God’s will.” Charles Stanley      Sometimes, in life, we find ourselves at a crossroads. On one side lies the path of trusting God completely. On the other, the temptation to take matters into our own hands. It is a choice echoing that fateful decision in Eden to either grasp for knowledge or trust G...

  The Quiet Burden of "Should" “The safest road to Hell is the gradual one—the gentle slope, soft underfoot, without sudden turnings, without milestones, without signposts.” C. S. Lewis “Orthodoxy means not thinking—not needing to think. Orthodoxy is unconsciousness.” George Orwell “Where is the Life we have lost in living? Where is the wisdom we have lost in knowledge? Where is the knowledge we have lost in information?” T. S. Eliot “The mystery of human existence lies not in just staying alive, but in finding something to live for.” Fyodor Dostoevsky “The greatest danger, that of losing oneself, can pass off in the world as quietly as if it were nothing; every other loss, an arm, a leg, five dollars, a wife, etc., is sure to be noticed.” Søren Kierkegaard      In our previous blog, The Hidden Strings: Unintended Manipulation, we explored how easy it is to slip from encouragement into something else, where our outward actions mask the disconnect inside. We wondered ...

  Balancing Achievement and Humility: Tall Poppies and Participation Trophies “Success makes so many people hate you. I wish it wasn’t that way. It would be wonderful to enjoy success without seeing envy in the eyes of those around you.” Marilyn Monroe “The deepest principle in human nature is the craving to be appreciated.” William James “Acknowledging the good that you already have in your life is the foundation for all abundance.” Eckhart Tolle “Success is stumbling from failure to failure with no loss of enthusiasm.” Winston S. Churchill “True humility is not thinking less of yourself; it is thinking of yourself less.” C. S. Lewis      In a world that increasingly fluctuates between tearing down those who excel and celebrating mediocrity, there is a palpable tension between striving for achievement and the fear of standing out. Two cultural phenomena encapsulate this paradox: the tall poppy syndrome—the societal impulse to cut down those who rise above the rest—a...

  From Me to He: Reclaiming Worship That Transforms “The aim and final end of all music should be none other than the glory of God and the refreshment of the soul.” Johann Sebastian Bach “It is not what a man does that determines whether his work is sacred or secular, it is why he does it.” A.W. Tozer “The glory of God is man fully alive, and the life of man is the vision of God.” Saint Irenaeus “God is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in Him.” John Piper “Worship is the submission of all our nature to God. It is the quickening of conscience by His holiness; the nourishment of mind with His truth; the purifying of imagination by His beauty; the opening of the heart to His love; the surrender of will to His purpose—and all this gathered up in adoration.” William Temple      When did worship become about us? A quiet shift has occurred in modern church culture, a recalibration of our focus that places personal gratification above the glory of God. Songs o...

  It's Time! Application from Sunday's message 12/29/24 Therefore I, a prisoner for serving the Lord, beg you to lead a life worthy of your calling, for you have been called by God. Ephesians 4:1 (NLTSE) Joshua 24:15  …choose today whom you will serve…But as for me and my family, we will serve the Lord.”      The call to live a life worthy of God's purpose is not just for pastors or church leaders - it's for every believer. We are all called to be part of a priesthood of believers who impact the world around us. Why Does God Call All Believers to Ministry?      God designed each person with specific gifts and talents to fulfill His unique calling for their life. While we may feel inadequate or point to others who seem more qualified, God made you in His image with certain abilities to impact the world in ways no one else can. What Does it Mean to Live a Life Worthy of Your Calling?      Living worthy doesn't mean being perfect - it ...