dicipleship | Branches Blog

10/7/24 MondayMatters: Living Above Reproach

Written on October 6, 2024 • 0 Comments

I Timothy 3:2 “An overseer must be above reproach.”

My contention is that is true for all of us.

“Live in such a way that if someone spoke badly of you no one would believe it.” Unknown

Some thoughts about living above reproach:

Your actions outweigh your words.
Your walk talks and your talk talks but your walk talks louder than your talk talks.
Your family name is more than a spoken word. It is a reputation.
The life you live is a reflection of the God you serve.

So here are 5 small ways to live with integrity.

Be punctual.
Give credit where credit is due.
Protect confidential information.
Show kindness and respect.
Admit mistakes.

“Our deeds determine us as much as we determine our deeds.” George Elliot

https://youtu.be/21cuFkZFlGM?si=DAnHDk_OfhjoIRdL

click here to see video

8/19/24 MondayMatters: On Being Blessed

Written on August 19, 2024 • 0 Comments

https://youtu.be/YKlh_2VMkuE?si=YQVgOqIdcrJkV0PX “I am blessed and highly favored.” “Well, bless your heart.” “God bless you.” We use those phrases all of the time but what do we mean by them? We see being blessed as being lucky, having good stuff, not having any problems. In the Beatitudes (blessings) Jesus talks to people in the worst of… Continue Reading

5/6/24 MondayMatters: How To Stay Positive In A Relationship

Written on May 6, 2024 • 0 Comments

In a fallen world, relationships fall. How we talk about them has much to do with how they survive. Here are 5 Rules of Relationships that help me stay positive about those connections in my life. Click on the link to watch the video. And follow on Facebook or Instagram for a daily reminder about… Continue Reading

3/25/24 MondayMatters: Self-Reflection

Written on March 25, 2024 • 0 Comments

https://youtu.be/qcfZFVVHszE?feature=shared Click the link above for the MondayMatters video. During Holy Week we often look at spiritual discipline and consider things we can do to deepen our walk and increase our faith. The idea of self-reflection, self-examination is often uncomfortable and certainly underused. But this week is a wonderful time to look inward, allow the… Continue Reading

Lent 2/19/24 Psalm 56

Written on February 19, 2024 • 0 Comments

2/19/24 Lent Psalm 56 During Lent we are reading a psalm together and letting it direct our prayers. For a list of our selected psalms got to the blog for 2/16. There’s an old joke about two friends hiking in the mountains. All of a sudden, a huge bear steps onto the trail and… Continue Reading

Blessed? Day 23 of Fasting

Written on January 23, 2024 • 0 Comments

I started a year long study of the Sermon on the Mount this month, with Tim Mackay and the Bible Project. So today we read a “fasting” verse. (At this point I can read the story of Jonah and see that it’s about the whale fasting) The verse is Matthew 5:6, “Blessed are those who… Continue Reading

When You Fast 1/1/24

Written on January 1, 2024 • 0 Comments

When you Fast! January 1, 2024 Matthew 6:16-18 says, “When you fast, do not look gloomy like the hypocrites, for they disfigure their faces that their fasting may be seen by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. But when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face, that your… Continue Reading

All In Again. Sermon notes from 12/31/23

Written on December 31, 2023 • 1 Comment

“I’m going to keep preaching this one until you start doing it, then I’ll move on to the next one.” I don’t know if you remember but I preached on this Sunday last year, the Sunday after Christmas. Last year it was January 1. This year, of course, December 31. I preached a message I… Continue Reading

10/16/23 MondayMatters: Keep It Simple, Saints

Written on October 15, 2023 • 0 Comments

One of the often overlooked disciplines of the spiritual life is the discipline of simplicity. Here are 6 steps to help you choose a more austere, perhaps Christ-centered life in the days ahead. For a daily thought about this and other topics, subscribe at branchesblog.com, or follow on Facebook or Instagram. (Did I say that… Continue Reading

8/21/23 MondayMatters: The Hearts of the Children

Written on August 21, 2023 • 0 Comments

Nothing could be more heart breaking, I imagine, than the estrangement of our children. And yet it happens so many time. I meet couples all of the time that are suffering from separation from their children, sometimes without knowing why. The one thing we cannot do is lose hope. Here are some thoughts about God’s… Continue Reading

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