Blog Entries by Russ

Maybe it's how the past week has gone; perhaps it's just something on my mind - whatever it is, it is rife with discontent on what I see pastors struggling with and how I see them approaching life. I know this message is not for all pastors out there, but there are several who can stand to read this.

First off, let me just say this: Confronting...

There is a ton of stuff out there about pastors and accountability. Books. Magazines. Blogs (like this one). With so much out there, how are you to know what to do? How do you go about doing it? Too much information bogs down the thought process. There's an adage out of North Point Church, "Speak Less For More". This means simplifying the...

Ridiculous. I mean, seriously. A seven and a half pound burger, plus side dishes? And he just swallows it on down in less than an hour. What a beast! 

I don't know how many of you watch the show "Man v. Food", but the shows host Adam is seriously a food guy. He can simply put stuff away. From monster burgers to six and a half pound milkshakes;...

Dirty, filthy hands. You have them when you are dealing with the issue on your own. You have them when you are dealing with the issue with other people. But let's focus on those who are unwilling to get dirty. The problems are going to continue to steamroll and the pyramid of filth will continue to grow unless someone is willing to tackle the...

When we think of sex these days, our thoughts are often taken away from its original intent- a holy moment taking place between a husband and wife. Sex has been dumbed down to a thing of no consequence, mild and fleeting; casual. However, as you search scriptures, it is so much more. 

Think back to Genesis (the first book of the bible). God...

As with many of you, I am a huge fan of the TV show Friends. Unlike you, I am old enough that I was in high school when they first started coming out, so it was almost as if I grew up with them. Like I got to know them personally. Sure, they were on television, but it still seemed as if every week I was right there with them. What a great...

For some time now I have seen a pattern, not only lived out here on xxxchurch, but in life as well. That for some reason, many reasons, pastors aren't talking porn. They aren't speaking about addiction. They have turned their monitors off and yet the computer is still running. I guess the elephant is still in the pew; perhaps it's in the...

Do you ever get that stopped up feeling, like you are awaiting something that just doesn't ever seem to come? And everyday you spend countless hours thinking of things you can do to unplug yourself, yet to no avail. It is rough to be stuck!

So... what gets me unstuck? What unclogs the pipes? What are the keys to getting rid of that extra load...

Throughout the past few weeks in our student ministry, we have been diving into the topics of relationships. During the spring it seems as if every ministry is going over the same thing. I mean, let's face it: SEX sells, and ministries know that too. But I wanted something different for my students. Something deeper. Something that was real....

How many of you out there are runners? Back in my day when I was your age (what seems like forever ago), I was in great shape and could run for what seems like forever. Miles on sports teams. Half marathons. Triathlons. Beast. The past seems so far away. Untouchable almost. Almost.

I still try to run. I guess it's more of a slow run, walk-like...