Author: vancecrains
-

“Stay focused! Disruptions are coming!”
I begin everyday with prayer and meditation. I start every day centered and spiritually grounded, or try to. But, as they say, “stuff” happens. Something on the news or social media irritates me. Someone misses an appointment. A driver offends me. I feel stressed by my “to-do” list. I spill…
-

Transcending Hell
what if the Hell people need saving from, most, isn’t in their future? What if the “lost” are already in Hell, in this life? What if the “saving,” lost people need, isn’t just from a future Hell, but a current and present one?
-

Look for the good
“Look for the good, even when it’s less than perfect. Affirm the good. Celebrate the good. Focus on the good, wherever you find it.”
-

Kneeling Isn’t a Sin
Kneeling, during the playing of National Anthem, may be offensive to you. It may even be wrong. But, it’s not a sin.
-

Worship: Where is everybody?
Perhaps its time to expand our minds. Perhaps its time to expand our understanding of what worship is and who it’s for. Perhaps its time to expand our vision for what Church can be. Perhaps – brace yourself – it’s time for change.
-

Faith in the Rear View Mirror
I doubt. I worry and fret. I get scared. The “what if?” scenarios consume my thoughts, far more than my prayers. My prayers, themselves, lack the confidence of a man whom God has blessed as much and as often as me. I possess too little faith, and far too much…
-

Fruitfulness
Recognize the goodness of a tree, by the good fruit in produces. Recognize a godly person by their character. Is a person’s character more like Jesus’, or like the Pharisee?
-

Gnoshies, Chachkies, and S.W.A.G.
Obviously, we all say words we don’t intend or know to be offensive. The same words have different meanings to different people. Sometimes we aren’t even aware the words we use are hurtful, insulting or wrong. We may not understand why a particular word has become offensive. But, when we…
-

Sermon Preparation
So, preachers, raise the standard of your preaching! How? My advice is planning and preparation. You may not like MY process. But, you do need a process. Plan as far ahead as you possibly can. Take time – big chunks of time – to study and prepare. Yes, your spiritual…
