@sparrowwebsites
The Daily Memo | December 15, 2020 | The Privilege of Prayer
Country artist Chris Stapleton’s deeply personal song, “Daddy Doesn’t Pray Anymore,” was inspired by his own father’s prayers for him. The poignant lyrics reveal the reason his father’s prayers ended: not disillusionment or weariness, but his own death. Stapleton imagines that now, instead of speaking with Jesus in prayer, his dad is walking and talking face-to-face with Jesus. Stapleton’s recollection of his father’s prayers…
Categories: Walking With God, The Daily Memo, Knowing & Being Known | Authored by: sparrowwebsites | Posted: 12/15/2020
27. A New Name - Embracing Brokenness Podcast
“He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who conquers I will give some of the hidden manna, and I will give him a white stone, with a new name written on the stone that no one knows except the one who receives it.” Revelation 2:17 In this Podcast, Steve explores the idea of God's unique calling for our lives. The notion that He has a specific "name" for each of us and what that really means. Mark Twain is…
Authored by: sparrowwebsites | Posted: 12/14/2020
The Daily Memo | December 14, 2020 | A Simple Prayer
I have a simple prayer for you today. May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope. Romans 15:13 (ESV) And that's the memo. Steve
Categories: The Daily Memo, Restored in Him, The Hope of Healing | Authored by: sparrowwebsites | Posted: 12/14/2020
Be Thou My Vision
One of the many benefits of communion with God is that he shares his perspective with us. When I refer to communion I do not mean the sacrament of communion, although that can be part of it. Communion means living in a connected way with our heavenly father, whether it is in prayer, fasting, or in scripture, worship, or just sitting and listening in his presence. Miriam-Webster defines communion as "an act or instance of sharing", and "…
Categories: Walking With God, Restored in Him, The Hope of Healing, Wounded Healer | Authored by: sparrowwebsites | Posted: 12/11/2020
The Daily Memo | December 11, 2020 | No Shortcuts
Since the beginning of time, every age has faced unprecedented battles. Today’s Western world lives and breathes a gospel of now. Instant gratification is the way of our culture; it is the norm, the expectation. This gospel has deeply infiltrated authentic Christianity, and the desire to have it our way and to have it now is toxic to becoming restored as a man. When we turn to the gospel, the story of God and his kingdom, we find a very different reality. Doesn&rsquo…
Categories: The Daily Memo, Identity Security, The Reality of Our Present World | Authored by: sparrowwebsites | Posted: 12/11/2020
The Daily Memo | December 10, 2020 | Watching from the Mezzanine
Most days I feel like I’m watching the world from the mezzanine. Far above the happenings of each day disconnected from reality. In my 6th decade on the planet, I remember rotary phones, programming in COBOL with punch cards in Grad school, and being witness to processing speeds (since then) 100 quadrillion times faster. What just happened? Supersonic technological advancements haven’t changed the human condition one bit. We still find ourselves longing for a…
Categories: The Daily Memo, The Reality of Our Present World | Authored by: sparrowwebsites | Posted: 12/10/2020
The Daily Memo | December 9, 2020 | The Benefits of Gratitude
Thanking God glorifies and magnifies Him, but did you know doing so also benefits us? The Lord doesn’t need our gratitude, but as we give thanks, we become less selfish and more confident in God’s character. Expressing gratefulness … Refocuses our attention. Life is filled with distractions that can make it harder to notice all God has done for us. Instead of living with the weight of the world on our shoulders, it’s good to try refocusing on the…
Categories: The Daily Memo, The Hope of Healing, Wounded Healer | Authored by: sparrowwebsites | Posted: 12/09/2020
The Daily Memo | December 8, 2020 | Pray Honestly
Have you ever felt like you were in the depths of despair? Have you felt that ‘the bottom has fallen out of [your] life’ (v.1, MSG)? The psalmist says, ‘Out of the depths I cry to you, O Lord; O Lord, hear my voice. Let your ears be attentive to my cry for mercy’ (vv.1–2). Your prayers and God’s mercy are like two buckets in a well. When one goes up, the other comes down. There is an honest desperation about this prayer. Don’t try…
Categories: Walking With God, The Daily Memo, Understanding Love | Authored by: sparrowwebsites | Posted: 12/08/2020
The Daily Memo | December 7, 2020 | Love - Joy - Peace
Love is the selfless, giving, devoted love of God and others. It’s an active display and compels us to put others' needs above our own. Love honors others and celebrates truth no matter how difficult it is to hear it. It gives of self even when it doesn’t feel like it. Love doesn’t allow feelings to dictate its choices. Love is hopeful, persevering, and trusting. Loving people keep hatred, apathy, and self-preservation far from them. Joy is a deep and…
Categories: The Daily Memo, Understanding Love | Authored by: sparrowwebsites | Posted: 12/07/2020
The Daily Memo | December 4, 2020 | The Nine-Part Fruit
“The Spirit-fueled development of Christ-like character is liberating, because it brings us closer to being the people we were designed to be, the people our Spirit-renewed hearts want us to be.” – Tim Keller The Fruit of the Spirit is listed in Galatians 5—love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. These qualities make up the Fruit. There are not nine different fruits—it is a nine-part Fruit.…
Categories: What We Were Created For, The Daily Memo, Understanding Love | Authored by: sparrowwebsites | Posted: 12/04/2020