http://gregdespres.com Drinking Deep of Christ, Flowing to Others from Communities to Continents Sat, 10 Jul 2010 02:43:39 +0000 http://backend.userland.com/rss092 en All of us have fears!  Some have fears of bugs (I can understand that), fear of talking in front of crowds or fear of evangelism.  We all have fears.  The goal for the NYGO team is to meet those fears head on with faith and trust God ... http://gregdespres.com/?p=1352 Short post but times have changed...It used to be that if one of your kids broke a bone or needed stitches or got hit by a car that you would go to the nearest emergency room.  They would ask for your insurance information and $150 dollars later, which is the ... http://gregdespres.com/?p=1349 I am beginning to think my first two decades of ministry were not the real thing.  Not that God didn't do great things and receive great honor, but that life tended to be easy AND comfortable.  No kids then young kids without a social life meant there was plenty of ... http://gregdespres.com/?p=1347   If Fassel and Schaef are accurate then addictions are the same for organizations as they are for individuals (54).  A scary thought given that addictions are now considered the norm for society (97).  I have met addicted people ... http://gregdespres.com/?p=1346   Stated early on the book, the author’s purpose is to help the reader examine their own practice of Christianity (25).  For the most part they succeeded.  It read a lot like a Bible study book so in terms ... http://gregdespres.com/?p=1344 Some books are good for increasing knowledge and some are good for deepening the soul.  This book was soul food.  Scazzero became my counselor each time I opened up and dove in.  Having just recently spent some time ... http://gregdespres.com/?p=1341 Excuse #1 - Local needs: "Why go far away when so much needs done here?" Do you ever hear people say this? I wonder if we'll hear it more as we work through the implications of the current global economic situation. Here's how I'd respond. Are there needs in your community? Are there ... http://gregdespres.com/?p=1052 Here is My Utmost for His Highest for 12/15 interjected with my comments in CAPS and BOLD! If you cannot express yourself well on each of your beliefs, work and study until you can. STOP BEING LAZY!  SERIOUSLY WHAT IS THE ISSUE IF NOT LAZINESS?  I AM TRYING TO BE NICE HERE.  ... http://gregdespres.com/?p=1337 Typically I read books for others, with them in mind.  Each time I picked this book up to read I was the nail being hammered.  A seemingly perfect read for this point in my journey.  Nearly every chapter echoed, ... http://gregdespres.com/?p=1335 Sin is a fundamental relationship— it is not wrong doing, but wrong being— it is deliberate and determined independence from God. The Christian faith bases everything on the extreme, self-confident nature of sin. Other faiths deal with sins— the Bible alone deals with sin. The first thing Jesus Christ confronted ... http://gregdespres.com/?p=1334