Gleaning and Gathering

On this episode of GNG, another great conversation from my time in TN. This time I discuss Godly manhood and the ministry of Men Arise with David Spivey.

https://godlymanhoodtoday.com/

"We don't really change people by shouting at them, not even by shouting loudly."

There was a lot to chew on in this short conversation, but this line of thinking was key. Early Methodism understood this, and they gave us a great example.

How can we pass along our faith to our children? How can we make disciples who then make disciples?

I enjoyed a great conversation (both on and off mic) with my friend, Darrell Stetler II from Oklahoma City at the recent Interchurch Holiness Convention in Gatlinburg, TN.

I encourage you to listen and to check out his material!

https://www.discipleshipinthehome.com

Through the years, we have done our best to "do life together" as a family. Kaylynn gives us her perspective on what that looked like.

I laughed. I cried. It moved me, Bob.

We've all been there. Your initial plan didn't work out the way that you hoped. What do you do? How do you keep moving forward?

Here are a few thoughts and stories from my experience.

In Waking the Dead, John Eldredge gives this picture of a community of the heart, "Living in community is like camping together… for a month, in the desert… without tents. All your stuff is scattered out there for everyone to see.”

Growing communities like Columba did at Iona in A.D. 564 is not very glamourous; It is hard, messy work. But growing communities of the heart to shine as lights in this dark world IS the way forward.

Kaylynn is back, and we are discussing this year's NDPx theme: Rootedness from Colossians 2:6-7.

In an age of mobility, we must recover the virtue of "blooming where we are planted." Constancy is key to all the other virtues, and that happens in a place and with a people.

I've always wanted to record a podcast at the beach... at sunrise, and today I did. The audio is terrible, but the view was spectacular.

A report on "Longing for the Light," the all-night, inter-church prayer movement that happened on February 16 in 33 different locations around the U.S. (and Internationally.)

For more details look at: longingforthelight.org

Leading "off the map" starts by people being able to trust us "on the map." Are we the kind of resilient leader that people can trust and how can we become a person that is trustworthy?

In this episode, I dig into some of the challenges that I'm facing personally and offer some thoughts on leading in crisis and change.

More lessons from the life of George Muller, (particularly when God doesn't answer prayer the way we wish He would.) Asking good questions like, "What is happening? What does it mean? And what is God inviting us into?"

More talk about NDP and how we need to develop ministry with and by young people, not just ministry FOR young people.

Here are some reflections from I Thess. 4 about Christian ambition and witness. Our ambition should be to:

1. Live a quiet life

2. Mind our own business

3. Work with our hands

So that we will have what we need and not be unnecessarily dependent on others and gain the respect of those who are outside the faith.

Kaylynn's back! It was such a joy to record this episode with my eldest daughter. It was a free flowing conversation about NDP, the need for the church to be engaged in "vocational discipleship," and how we should be developing leaders at every level.

I am sharing from my life over the past few weeks, planning for "Longing for the Light," a muti-site, interdenominational prayer movement that God has impressed on my heart.

Also talking about leading our families towards God and how we do family devotions.

In the middle of your busyness are you taking time for rhythms of renewal? In this episode, I am challenging you to seek the face of God and to live in health as you move forward with you plans.

Headmaster Scott Clemens of Heartland Christian has been a personal friend and huge blessing to our family over the past nine years our children have been connected there. I interviewed him him today about education, discipleship, and Heartland's mission of partnering with parents to develop Christ-like leaders.

Have you had the experience of knowing that God put you together with someone? There was a "spark" of connection, and you knew it was more than just common interests.

In this episode, we explore that idea and its connection to Spiritual friendship, or guardians of the soul.

This Sunday is the first Sunday of Advent 2023, and this past week I had a conversation with Karissa about this season. "Jesus is coming, and this time is all about getting ready for His return."

Her eyes lit up, and she began to jump up and down. "Jesus is coming!! When, when?! I want to see Him!!"

Living with hope is to live everyday with that child-like wonder, excitement, and expectation that we see in the lives of Simeon and Anna in Luke 2. We aren't "just waiting;" we are living in hope!

In this wide-ranging conversation with co-host Kaylynn, we talk about all manner of things, but the conversation centers on cultivating a sense of wonder in our children's education and experience. "Why does that happen? How does that work?" If you send them out with wonder, they will find their answers.

On this Thanksgiving, I am thinking about the past... and our future. I am thinking about the yearly rhythms that for us have become the "sound track" of our life as a family.

Are we just marching to the drumbeat of culture, or are we cultivating a deeper life as a family through the things we celebrate and the traditions that we repeat year after year?

Hospitality to others starts with having a vibrant family table. While we are still developing, we are thankful for the opportunity we've had to welcome many guests to our family meals together.

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Our Chicken and Rice Recipe

5 lbs of chicken legs

2 cups of rice

4 cups of "fluid"

- water

- milk

- cream of chicken soup

- onion soup mix

Combine in a large pyrex dish (10x13.) Place the rice and fluid on the bottom and the chicken on top. Sprinkle with garlic salt.

Cook covered with foil for 2 hours at 325. Serves 10-12 people.

Super easy, super cheap, super good.

In this episode I am looking back while looking forward. How did the farm come about? How did NDP begin? And where are we headed next. I share a "history of the future" at Victory Acres.

Sitting down with my daughter, Kaylynn, to discuss the vision of Victory Acres farm was a real treat. I'm excited to see what God is going to continue to do on this former, seven-generation family farm.

Reflections from our lives and some next steps that we are taking.

In the avalanche of ideas and opportunities, how do we discern where we should focus our limited time and energies? This episode explores some of the principles that I have found helpful in the process.

Sooner or later, you will probably face a transition. This episode explores a personal transition and some observations on how to navigate them.

Trouble doubles as an opportunity for God's will and wisdom to be revealed. Am I just focusing on the problem at hand, or am I staying open to what opportunities God may be using those problems to uncover.

Just some reflections from life and ministry...

"Am I communicating because I like this topic, or am I communicating because I have a clear picture of a life I want to improve?" is the question Ezra Byers asked in a recent Facebook post about writing.

It set me to thinking... Where do I add value to other people's lives? That is the topic of this episode.

Are you living out of a paradigm of blessing or cursing? This week I'm reflecting on Psalms 109 and the communities of blessing in my own life.

If you get lost, is there anyone who will come looking for you? Does anyone "claim" you? Are you a part? Do you "belong?"

These are some questions that I've been chewing on this past week, and it is the topic of this episode of Gleaning and Gathering.

Sitting down with the leadership trainees of this year's NDP summer training program was a lot of fun! We discussed some of the lessons that they are learning through the program and how it is helping them to develop their individual strengths. See what you think!

Learning the discipline of celebrating well is something that I'm still working on, but this past week our NDP team took a day to celebrate.

While most Christians would agree that spiritual friendship is important, many see it as a beautiful luxury for which they don't have time or energy. Seeing spiritual friendship as a spiritual discipline necessary for the development of our spiritual life is not the view that everyone shares.

In this episode I explore the concept ,along with excerpts from Spiritual Friendship, the spiritual classic by Aelred of Rievaulx and ideas from A Resilient Life by Gordon MacDonald. My hope is that it will be an encouragement to you on your journey.

June 19, 2023 Rachelle and I celebrate our 24th wedding anniversary. In this episode, we reflect on questions like, "What would you want to tell your 20/21 year old self after 24 years of marriage?" It's a fun, free flowing conversation, and we hope you enjoy it as much as we did recording it.

This past week we hosted the Nehemiah Discipleship Program Experience at Victory Acres Farm. 40 young people from 6 different states completed the time of training and discipleship. Our word for the week was "UNITE," and our Scripture engagement passage was Ephesians 4. In a day of division, how are we as Christians to truly unite? That's the topic that I explore in this episode.

There are times as a leader when you're not ok... and that's ok. How do you keep perspective in those moments? God has used Scripture and days of prayer like this past week to help me regain His perspective.

As leaders, we are surrounded by opportunity, but many of us are struggling to execute the necessary endings to provide the focus needed to get that opportunity to the finish line.

I hope that a piece from my story might help you as you are processing yours.

A discussion about the church's role in charity and helping people to help themselves. How can we help in a way that is truly helpful? How do we help without undermining personal responsibility? How far should we go? How do we keep the safety net from becoming a hammock? How do we preserve the relationship while having hard conversations?

As with most things, there are no easy answers, but these are some thoughts for churches and individuals interested in moving beyond the "benevolence fund" mentality towards developing responsible, relational disciples.

What does it mean for us to be the church, and what is God calling us to as His people to be? Is it enough to just "have church," or is God calling us to more?

I explore the "Ephesians Paradigm" (thank you Dr. Stephen Gibson) and my own experiences in making a case for the church being more than just a "dispenser of religious goods and services."

I believe that the church is intended to be the Body of Christ - the continuing manifestation of Christ in the world, and that it is intended to reveal to a broken, watching world the "manifold wisdom of God."

If that is true, then there is much to discuss and even more to do. What is the wisdom of God as it relates to agriculture, childcare, public safety, food, and 100 other issues of "real life?" Do we believe that the wisdom of God speaks to these things? Do we see this as part of the work of the church, or is all of that just "secular?" These are some of the issues explored in this episode.

Rebecca, our second daughter, turned 20 this past week. It got me to thinking about the changing seasons of parenting. My encouragement and admonition to young parents is, "Keep your eye on the ball! You have a narrow window of opportunity."

Just sharing from my experiences these past few days, including my time at Asbury University.

What kind of a person are you becoming? The battle is won or lost in the day to day choices. Every choice is a vote for who you want to become.

A "rule of life" has been a helpful tool for Christians throughout the ages in becoming more disciplined and Christ-like. In this episode, I share some of my daily rhythm and "rule of life." Being rather than just doing is also a theme.