October 2012
3 posts
3 tags
Youth Pastor Hangout with Kevin Moore | Oct 18 @... →
I’m very excited to announce something that we have been working on to help equip youth pastors and youth leaders across the Northwest Ministry Network and beyond. On October 18th we will launch our very first Youth Pastor Hangout.
We have been looking for ways to help connect youth pastors and leaders with some of the leading voices in youth ministry. The truth is that most of us can’t fly...
1 tag
September 2012
1 post
5 tags
Something New: Youth Pastor Hangout
I’m very excited to announce something that we have been working on to help equip youth pastors and youth leaders across the Northwest Ministry Network and beyond. On October 18th we will launch our very first Youth Pastor Hangout.
We have been looking for ways to help connect youth pastors and leaders with some of the leading voices in youth ministry. The truth is that most of us can’t fly...
February 2012
6 posts
3 tags
Leaving room to be a blessing
A few years back I decided to take a new approach to my bible reading and I took up an endeavor to read through the bible chronologically that year. It was a fun journey. One day in my reading I came across something that made me see personal stewardship and finances in a whole new light. It is found in Leviticus 19:9-10 (NLT):
“When you harvest the crops of your land, do not harvest the...
A simple reminder...
Every now and then we need a reminder. We tend to lose sight of things. We forget. We move on. There is something that I am convinced that we need to be reminded of…and reminded often.
“So do not throw away your confidence; it will be richly rewarded…
But we are not of those who shrink back and are destroyed, but of those who believe and are saved.”
Hebrews 10:35,...
A new way of seeing
I’ve always loved those visual illusions where at one moment it looks like one thing, but after further investigation, it looks like something else. Maybe you have seen some.
The vase that is actually two faces.
The old lady that actually is a young woman.
When we change what we focus on in the pictures, our perspective of what we are seeing changes with it.
Perspective - what we...
Not everything has an expiration date
I’ll admit it. I am a compulsive expiration date checker. On items that I find in the fridge, if it is close to passing the date of expiration I will pass. I think it all goes back to a specific time in my life where I watched my dad take a big chug out of a milk carton without checking the date. And you guessed it…the stuff (now simi-solid) in the carton was way beyond the point of...
Welcome to the club
It was 4th grade and I couldn’t wait to be in it. All the cool kids seemed to be a part, and I couldn’t wait untill I got my shot. I just needed to pick an instrument. To this day I still am not quite sure how I landed on this decision, but I ended up picking the trombone. That was my ticket into the club…yep, I was now officially a part of my school band.
Thinking back, it...
Hide and Seek
We recently moved into a new house in a new city. We are loving the new opportunities that God has brought to our family. One of the things we love to do every now and then is play a game of Hide and Seek. I would say we love it just because our kids are young…but in truth, I still love it! I love surprising my kids when they find me. I love hearing them from a distance, trying to hide,...
January 2012
3 posts
2 tags
Keep it or Kill it – the choice is yours
There have been a lot of times where I have felt like I have lived with a lot of vision. There have been other seasons where I know I lacked it.
Life and ministry are ALWAYS more fun and exciting where you know you have some God-given dream or vision that is stirring you and leading you forward - pushing you beyond where you are currently are.
Many of us can quote Proverbs 29:18…...
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New Steps
A little over a year ago I started running. My first day out I tried to run two miles. I thought I was going to die. I didn’t realize how out of shape I had become. But as the days went by, two miles became very comfortable to run. So I bumped up the distance to three…then five…and last November I ran my first half marathon. It would have been way more comfortable to stay...
December 2011
3 posts
“Grace is the root of the gospel; peace is the fruit of the gospel.”
– Tullian Tchividjian | “Jesus + Nothing = Everything”
WatchTo help everyone get into the Christmas spirit…here you go.
November 2011
2 posts
October 2011
10 posts
andyjoneslive: Welcome Baaaaak →
andyjoneslive:
As a dad, there’s nothing like coming back from a long trip and seeing your family again.
I recently enjoyed an extended weekend away with my brothers and dad in Northern California.
Upon my arrival home I was treated to a welcome home from my family that made me feel amazing.
Andrea screamed…
Such a great reminder! Thankful for Andy and his heart to remind is of...
1 tag
It's No Accident
Accidents happen. All the time.
Some are a big deal. Some aren’t.
Our son’s (Judah and Justus) used to watch an Elmo video that had a song where they would sing “accidents happen…and that’s okay…” Good advice for kids learning to be potty trained. Bad advice for people who are hoping to end up at a God-given destiny…by accident.
The truth is...
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“…when it comes to Christian life and experience, many of us have...”
– Tullian Tchividjian | Jesus + Nothing = Everything
“…the gospel doesn’t simply rescue us from the past and rescue us for the...”
– Tullian Tchividjian | “Jesus + Nothing = Everything”
Show it off
My first car was a 1978 Datsun B-210 hatch back. It was complete with pin striping, a spoiler on the back window and fake leather seats. It wasn’t necessarily pretty, but it was mine, and I was proud of it.
I decided that it needed a really nice stereo system (which ended up tripling the value of that car). Every time the bass would hit, the headlights would dim. I loved that car. I...
“The truth is that in Jesus, we have all the acceptance we long for. The gospel...”
– Tullian Tchividjian “Surprised by Grace”
September 2011
14 posts
3 tags
My REACH is a Reflection
It’s not always comfortable or convenient to reach out for something.
Jonah experienced this first hand. In Jonah 1:1-3, God called Jonah to go and bring His message to the people of Nineveh. Jonah wasn’t comfortable with this proposition. It wasn’t convenient either. So he split.
The amazing truth weaved throughout the story of Jonah is that God is continually reaching out...
6 tags
Brick Thrower or Bricklayer?
We are continually making choices.
Some benefit us. Some do not. Some choices we make benefit others. Some choices do not. Throughout our lives we have the choice and opportunity to either be someone who will build others up, or we can aim our life at tearing others down.
We can either choose to be a brick thrower or a bricklayer.
Brick throwers keep busy in life by scrutinizing others. ...
Great blog by Perry Noble: "Where is our focus?" →
This is a great post by Perry Noble, Senior Pastor of NewSpring Church in South Carolina. You can follow his blog here: perrynoble.com
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Where did that come from?
Growing up in the 80’s nothing was cooler than the original Nintendo Entertainment System. I remember seeing gifts my friends would get that I wished I had for my NES. My next door neighbor had the Power Pad and Track and Field. My cousin had Duck Hunt with the gun, not to mention ROB - the really cool robot that interacted with you in the games. I had neither.
I wanted what they had. ...
“The gospel is therefore not just the ABCs of the Christian life, but the A to Z...”
– Timothy Keller “The Prodigal God: Recovering the Heart of the Christian Faith”
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A lesson from the Kingdome: Stick with the purpose
I grew up in the greater Seattle/Tacoma area and have spent my whole life here. I love this place! One thing that made it fun growing up here was having the opportunity every now and then to go see either the Mariners (when they were good) and the Seahawks (when they were…never mind) play in the Kingdome. The Kingdome was “King Counties Multipurpose Domed Stadium”. And...
3 tags
“Religion operates on the principle of “I obey—therefore I am accepted by God.”...”
– Timothy Keller “The Prodigal God: Recovering the Heart of the Christian Faith” (p. 114)
WatchAnother great creative video that inspires me from “The U”.
WatchInspired by this vision video “The Church We See” from The City Church. Creative, Clear, and Compelling.
3 tags
3 Lessons from Proverbs 17 & 18 from this morning
Here are a few thoughts that I came across this morning in my bible reading. Good reminders and challenges for us to keep growing, learning and living intentional.
Proverbs 17:16 It is senseless to pay tuition to educate a fool, since he has no heart for learning.
Do I have a heart that wants to learn? This challenges me to think about WHO I invest in and WHY someone should be willing to...
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“Real change does not and cannot come independently of the gospel, which is the...”
– Tullian Tchividjian | “Surprised by Grace”
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WHY NOT?
A lot of people sit around and ask “WHY?”
Why should I care? Why should I go? Why should I sacrifice? Why should I be inconvenienced? Why does it matter? Why should I listen to what they have to say? Why…Why…WHY?
I believe a much better option is to live a life that says “WHY NOT?”
There is, however, a challenge with responding “WHY NOT?”. When...
What I've been reading
I am always on the lookout for a good book. One of my favorite ways to stay sharp, grow and be refreshed is by reading - and taking a week of vacation I was able to read through quite a few. Here are some of the books (with a short summary) that I have read over the past month.
MISFIT by Chris Durso “Jesus never calls us to fit in. He calls us to lead the way for others as we follow...
August 2011
6 posts
3 tags
We need both
We often fall into the trap of “either/or” in life.
We are either really compassionate OR a strong leader.
We are either gifted and skilled OR we have a great heart.
Allowing yourself to live in an “either/or” perspective in life and leadership can be dangerous. I think more often we need to challenge ourselves to have both in play. Maybe it’s not the things...
2 tags
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Don't settle for surface level
No one wants to admit it, but we have all had surface level friendships in life. What I mean is this: we have people we know - but it never goes any deeper than an understanding of things ABOUT that person. Sometimes we can know a lot about someone without really knowing them for who they are.
I’ve been guilty of it. Chances are maybe you have too.
Unfortunately I think there are times...
2 tags
“You’ll never know what God is willing to do on your behalf until you are...”
– Andy Stanley
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WHY YOU (AND THEY) BELONG
Nothing get’s etched in your memory quite like those awkward moments where you realize you don’t belong.
The party you show up to that you THOUGHT you were invited to. Turns out you weren’t.
The time you didn’t dress up. Everyone else looked like they were ready for the Oscars.
That moment when you gaze around the room, helplessly realizing you are the only male in the...
3 tags
July 2011
16 posts
Alone in the battle?
Ever felt like you are the only one left? Alone. Defenseless. On the verge of defeat.
This idea makes me think back to the countless dodge ball games I have played throughout my lifetime (my average may be high due to my involvement with youth ministry). Dodge ball is great when your team is winning. It’s not quite as fun when your team is getting beat. It is even worse when there are...
4 tags
“…most people allow others to influence them. They allow others to dictate...”
– Chris Durso from the book “MISFIT” 