Most popular posts in 'My Spiritual Life' category.
Archive for the 'My Spiritual Life' Category
Reflections on Sin
Published by Jeff Mikels, on May 25th, 2012 in Front Page, Leadership, My Spiritual Life, Tough Questions.Some Context
This past week, a number of stories came out in my local newspaper reporting on and analyzing the arrest of a local pastor. He has been accused of placing and monitoring video equipment in the female bathrooms at the church. If you haven’t read the articles, don’t worry about not knowing the details. I’m not going to address the specifics of that story, but it has burdened my heart so much that I feel a need to reflect here in my semi-public space what these moral failures reveal about God, humanity, and the state of the church. » Click here to read the rest. «
Popularity: 2% [?]
“Our God” (a song)
Published by Jeff Mikels, on September 18th, 2009 in Front Page, My Spiritual Life.For a couple weeks now, I have been dissatisfied with the modern worship songs we’ve been singing in our church. The music is great, the beats are fun, the lyrics are powerful, but honestly, they aren’t very deep.
In particular, the majority of modern rock-style worship music puts God in the second person. Everything is about how great “You” are or about our relationship as humans to “You.” The problem with that kind of music is that it only works for people who have a relationship with God close enough to call him “You.” There are many people for whom God is only “God” or “He” and there are many times in our lives when we need to remember that God is “God” and not just another “You.” » Click here to read the rest. «
Popularity: unranked [?]
Organizational Insights from Numbers 2
Published by Jeff Mikels, on September 15th, 2009 in Front Page, Leadership, My Spiritual Life.
This morning, I was reading the first few chapters of Numbers. I have to be honest with you, and I am somewhat ashamed to admit, I wasn’t expecting much. Aside from a few interesting (and confusing) stories, the book of Numbers is filled with, you guessed it, numbers!
The first few chapters are all about counting the people of Israel. This tribe has 60,000 people. That tribe has 40,000 people. With twelve tribes to go through, the lists of numbers and names of people can get tedious. » Click here to read the rest. «
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Protected: Request for Armor Bearers
Published by Jeff Mikels, on March 14th, 2009 in Prayer Requests.Popularity: unranked [?]
Prayer for the next level
Published by Jeff Mikels, on October 23rd, 2007 in Front Page, My Spiritual Life.Lord in Heaven, I’m sensing your call to take my steps into a new level of relationship with you. It’s more than a desire in my heart. It’s more than a thought or a notion. It’s a repetitive prompting that you have more for me and a constant reminder that I need it.
I’ve washed over it quite often. I’ve filled my life with entertainment, tasks, busywork, meetings, and even family responsibilities because of course those things need to be done, but then when I’m alone in the quiet again, and I allow my soul to quiet down, I sense the lack.
My lack is not a lack of knowledge. Although I know there is much still I have to learn, this next level is one you have already taught me about.
My lack is not a lack of desire. I’ve been longing to go to this next level with you for a long time without actually getting there.
Now, I’m convinced that my lack is not a lack of your willingness to take me to the next level. I’m certain that you have something for me.
My lack is mostly a lack of faith—will I step up onto this new level or not?
What’s holding me back? Fear mostly. What if I step up, and you aren’t there? What if I step up and people I love don’t understand? What if I step up, but I fall on my face because I’m not actually ready?
Lord, I want greater depth with you. Lead me deeply into the waters of who you are. Open my heart to see with the eyes of faith where you are moving, and prepare me for the step to come.
Popularity: 63% [?]
Great Weekend… Or Not?
Published by Jeff Mikels, on September 3rd, 2007 in My Spiritual Life, Prayer Requests.This is just a quick post to say that I had a really fun weekend on one hand and a really bad weekend on the other.
- At T.G.I. Friday’s (where I just started to work part-time as a waiter), I had a section of two tables only, but in the brief couple hours of lunch, I managed to make over $30 in tips from only $140 in sales. That means I was making people happy and they were tipping me more than 20%. Man that was a good feeling!
- As soon as work was done, I talked to a core member of our church who has decided to go with his wife and kids to another new church in town. He was supposed to be our drummer for the week, so I spent all afternoon trying to reschedule another drummer and plan a time for practice. None of it came together until about 7pm, and I didn’t get back from practice till after 10:30pm!
- Though I got 4 hours of sleep and a late start this morning for church, I prayed and asked God to help me have a positive attitude despite the potential stresses of the morning (our first Sunday in the swanky Holiday Inn downtown.) He answered the prayer by giving me an absolutely incredible worship service for me. I was really sensing His presence at work in me and in the people who came. I felt great about it. (Even though we had some big issues with the sound system and the computer).
- When service was done, I met a man who volunteered to join our setup team for next week!
- But soon after that, I encountered some people who had been completely frustrated by the hassles of today’s setup and tear-down process with a healthy dose of fear regarding the financial future of the church.
All in all, I had a great weekend personally, but I’m surrounded by frustrated people, and I feel responsible for their frustration.
Lord, teach me the lesson you have for me in this quickly so that I can bring some healing and restoration to others and repair some relationships. Give me the ability beyond myself to organize the systems of the church well. And Lord, please meet our financial needs.
Popularity: 21% [?]
Productivity: August 13, 2007
Published by Jeff Mikels, on August 13th, 2007 in Front Page, My Spiritual Life.Today’s Accomplishments
- I mowed the lawn.
- I read a chapter from Transforming Discipleship: Making Disciples a Few at a Time
- I sent an email to Greg, Kyle, and Josh about our Four Guys and God meeting. (We are going to work through the 10 commandments in our discipleship).
- I’ve taken a closer look at the ning.com social network creation site to see if that would work better than maintaining our own church website.
- I processed a few emails.
- I wrote three blog entries.
- I printed mailing labels for 350 postcards and affixed them to the cards (Jen helped).
- I invited some neighbors over for dinner.
- I read the kids their bedtime story and got them in bed while Jen was at Bible Study
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God bless you my brother. Thank you for taking time to share. May neither one of us walk with pride in our lives over this issue, but may we be humble and tremble at His word. I pray we have sharpened each other and become more Christlike through our conversation. May Jesus be glorified in both of our lives, and may the Lamb that was slain receive the reward of His suffering.