Thoughts and Insights...

How can you GET A GRIP & strengthen your hold on life when it often seems like it is slipping out of your hands or spinning out of control? Over the past few months God has been strengthening my grip in every area of my life. It has been a very rough, yet refining time, and it has been both encouraging and exciting to hear God speak and to see Him move in the midst of it. Here are just a few things that He is teaching me, and I truly believe that they can help you to GET A GRIP in your life and strengthen your hold as well… 1) Set God-Centered Priorities  How do you know what your priorities are? What you are committed to, is your priority. What has the majority of your time? What would your kids say is the most important thing in your life? Answer each of these questions honestly and you will begin to see. GET A GRIP on your priorities! 2) Engage In Biblical Community   Not just attending church every now and again, but engaging--using your gifts, abilitie

“Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; making the most of every single opportunity." (Colossians 4:5) How do first-time guests go from not knowing anything about our church to being engaged in our ministry? There are at least four distinct stages that I believe the guests who arrive at our church go through on this journey. At each stage, we need to look at various aspects of our ministry and ensure we've reduced any friction that prevents our guests from becoming fully engaged. Think through each step that our guests go through., and identify areas that need improvement so that we can build a plan to improve the experience! •  Attention //  Before we can begin any sort of relationship with our guests, we need to get their attention. This is the most basic level of any sort of connection. What are we doing to let people who might become guests know our church exists? Is our website up to date and does it contain easy-to-find information on what

  One BIG thing I have found over my years in life and ministry is this...  If you want to get nothing meaningful in your life, work, family, ministry, etc. done, just use words that start with  “some” a lot. Like in every conversation or meeting you’re in. They will definitely keep you in a blurry world, wandering around and never having the focus to reach your goal or destination. What  ‘some’  words you ask? Well… Somebody Someday Sometime Something These words end up sounding a lot like this:  "Somebody should do something about that sometime someday." Guaranteed zero action happens. Ever. Progress and getting things done is not simply talk. In fact, talking about doing something again and again is not progress, it’s delusion. There’s only one  ‘some’  word I can think of that I like, and that’s  "somehow" . "Somehow"  can be an amazing word when you’re up against an impossible task and one or more people ask you,  “How on earth will we do this?”  And

Here Are Ten Of The Top Excuses for Missing or not Going to Church......Defused!  10. I have nothing to wear to church. (Here at The Heights, you’ll see dress from skirts, dress slacks and button downs, to Harley leather, blue jeans, hipster skinny’s, t-shirts, running shoes, etc...) 9. Church is full of hypocrites. (So come on out...we always have room for one more! Just kidding, we try our best to do our best, but not one of us is perfect, except Jesus.) 8. I’m against organized religion. (Perfect...unfortunately, we’re highly disorganized at times too! lol) 7. Church people hate women/gays/divorced people/ethnic groups/interracial couples/(insert group here...) (Um,....no we don’t! We love all people, and welcome and encourage everyone to come experience the power and love of Jesus.) 6. I don’t believe in God. (That’s okay...God still believes in you and so do we!) 5. Church people are so judgmental. (Trust us...we all have a past, so not one of us can really be throwing stones

The Truth about St Patrick Everyone knows about St. Patrick's Day, but few know about the man himself, or the origins of some of the traditions/customs surrounding this day. Here are a few interesting facts...  St. Patrick was a strong defender of the gospel of Jesus Christ. He desired to abolish “religion” and communicate the truth of the need for a real relationship with The Messiah Jesus. In Britain, he was stolen by raiders from his family at the age of 16 and carried to Ireland as a slave. His message to the church declaring them worshipers of “idols and unclean rituals” was unpopular and he became threatened with martyrdom. Patrick was called “the first bishop to Irish Christians” and his legacy still lives on today. So where did Leprechauns, three and four leaf clover, green, pinching and luck come from? Every truth always has a “anti.” Here are a few of the traditions explained… #1 Shamrock… St. Patrick used the Three Leaf Clover to illustrate the story of the Godhea