A Vision that Motivates
“By the grace God has given me, I laid a foundation as a wise builder, and someone else is building on it. But each one should build with care. For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ. If anyone builds on this foundation using gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay or straw, their work will be shown for what it is, because the Day will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each person’s work. If what has been built survives, the builder...
read moreA prayer for the next generation…
I just finished reading through the book of Joshua. Many aspects of this piece of literature struck me. I was amazed at how much God did for the people of Israel at the expense & devastation of many other nations. I also was impressed with the leadership of Joshua. I feel at times Joshua is kind of this forgotten leader. Moses, well is Moses, and fairly soon after Joshua we read of Samuel and David in the Hebrew Bible. These were two foundational leaders for God’s people. But Joshua was the man God chose to fulfill His promise to...
read morePA TRIP – Book Release & Alpha
The trip was a whirl wind but I mean that in a good way. When you take out all of the traveling ramifications we spent about 36 packed hours in PA. Those hours were filled with the book release party, meetings with potential authors and board members, catching up with friends, and participating in the weekly Alpha gathering. I always return from trips like this refreshed. My physical body is always a bit tired from traveling and lack of sleep but my soul is regenerated. I love seeing how God is working in other parts of the world. These trips...
read moreThe Empty Cross
Consumed Publishing is proud to release our latest project – The Empty Cross, by Carol King. The release date is set for Tuesday, March 8 but you can pre-order your copy now. This is a great resource for the upcoming season where we remember both the death and resurrection of Jesus. From the author: Words are like paint – the right ones line turquoise skies and fair weather and hope and orchards of lush peaches and fields of plump blueberries and baskets of juicy red tomatoes onto paper. Other right ones paint heavy grey...
read moreBall for Lives
One of the privileges I have in life is the honor of serving on the board of directors for Ball for Lives. You may remember that last summer I (Jamie) dribbled the Twin Cities Marathon to raise funds & awareness for stopping the sex slave trafficking that exists in this world. Ball for Lives is the organization we ran for. They truly desire to see the love & justice of God permeated into every corner of earth. There are many great ways to participate with them. NO…you don’t have to dribble a half or full marathon to join...
read moreDoes Prayer Change God’s Mind
The title is the question I was asked to answer for a blog my friends at Winona State University run. This was a question asked by a student at Winona. There are several questions like this one and they asked different people to tackle the questions…doing their best to answer them. I was chosen to answer this light question on prayer (insert sarcasm). This was the answer I submitted them. I am open to discuss… DOES PRAYER CHANGE GOD MINDS? In January of 2009 I was rocked with the news my wonderful sister Penny had been diagnosed...
read moreNC Visit
Gretchen and I were blessed to travel to Raleigh, NC last weekend to be a part of the life of Hope Cafe. Eric & Lisa Beavers serve at this church and it was wonderful to see how God is using this church to reach their community. The church facility is not a church building in the traditional sense. They have a store front property in the form of a coffee shop. Throughout the week Hope Cafe is open for business. They have open mic night on Friday evenings, concerts on Saturday evenings, and the church gathers on Sundays for singing,...
read moreRelationships
We (Consumed) say often that we value relationships. This isn’t just some spiritual phrase we throw around to sound good. We truly value the relationships God has formed both organizationally and more importantly…the friendships we have formed with people all over the world. Through the context of relationships we are provided the opportunities to accomplish the mission God has given us – to share the message of abundant life. Last week Dan Shearer, Eric & Lisa Beavers, and I were privileged to share this message through...
read moreYour Faith is Greater Than Mine
From Rob Stearns I’ve been thinking about this for quite some time–the many ways to Heaven/Paradise/the afterlife. It ultimately boils down to a question of faith…but at some point faith needs to be based on some basis of logic and/or facts I would think. As a Christian who has placed his faith in the person, life, actions–and ultimate death and resurrection–of Jesus Christ, I have to admit people who place their faith in theories that can be disproved through basic math, or with definitions which cannot be...
read moreI believe…
I was at a joint church gathering recently and the following poem was read. I found the writing to be beautiful so I thought I would share it here…with the author’s permission of course. Speaking of the author – her name is Chandler Weir I believe in the Almighty The omnipresence of the church I can feel, For it is not a building, a structure, an address, It is a community, a feeling, a family, Where protection and comfort can be found, Where support can be given or received, And the sinners of the world may come...
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