Never say someone else's 'no' for them

So it was a 'No'.

This post title came from Axioms and was the only thing that had a 'No' in it that came to mind. It's one of Hybels seventy-five Axioms. We're going to be dipping into it on and off as a staff team this term.

Pray for Scotland as they go forward.

This is the four-point way Hybels coaches church teams/leaders on assessing the effectiveness of churches.

'I'd like to break you all up into small groups" I explained, "and figure out how you'd rate your church's effectiveness in each area. On a scale of one to ten- one being really bad, and ten being really, really good-assess how well you reach people far from God, help new believers grow up in Christ, inspire the next generation toward faith, and help solve the problems of a broken world. Come up with one number per group, and then post your numbers on this flip chart. Deal?' (p.156)

I am starting to read 'The Walk' through together with someone who is a new follower of Jesus.

We are going to be immersed in Galatians until Christmas:

“To be convinced in our hearts that we have forgiveness of sins and peace with God by grace alone is the hardest thing.”  Martin Luther on Galatians

You can get 'Songs of Innocence' free on iTunes. I'm listening to it as I type. Mark Meynell reflects deeply on the album here.

I attended our local 'Churches together' last night at which I am a little sporadic: Methodists, Baptists, Catholics and Anglicans sharing a few things. Nice night. I recommended 'The Prayer Course' and as a result one church is now going to use it next term. It's nice to be able to be able to pass forward something that has been such a blessing to us as a church.

I'm still reading and re-reading 'Purple Fish'

'I'm fishing for men with a certain kind of bait, and the bait that I am offering is not a candy; it's a very specific thing that I'm offering, which is a deep gospel and a deep conversion' 

Larry Norman quoted in Purple Fish (p.51).

Feeling down? They maybe 'The one thing you need to be happy' is a timely read for you?