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Continue reading →: Investment Plan
“A man has made at least a start on discovering the meaning of human life when he plants shade trees under which he knows full well he will never sit.” — D. Elton Trueblood How many people have invested in your life? Parents. Teachers. Youth ministers. Coaches. Mentors. Pastors. Friends.…
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Continue reading →: What Is Success?
“To be what we are, and to become what we are capable of becoming, is the only end of life.” — Baruch Spinoza Success means being faithful to God’s purpose for you. For some people, this means using the talents and gifts God has given them to develop new products…
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Continue reading →: Got Problems?
“The person who moves a mountain begins by carrying away small stones.” — Chinese Proverb Got problems? Join the club. We all have areas of our lives that are difficult; relationships that aren’t working; jobs that can be wearisome; and emotional baggage we’ve carried for too long. Sometimes a problem…
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Continue reading →: The Prayer of First Resort
“We tend to use prayer as a last resort, but God wants it to be our first line of defense. We pray when there's nothing else we can do, but God wants us to pray before we do anything at all. Most of us would prefer, however, to spend our…
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Continue reading →: Spirituality Leads Us into the World
“The spiritual life does not remove us from the world but leads us deeper into it.” – Henri Nouwen We operate in dualities. Good versus evil. Physical versus spiritual. Dark versus light. Dualism teaches that there are two main realities of equal power that are opposites and are working against…
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Continue reading →: What You Believe or What You Do?
This morning, I want to share with you a lengthy quote from E. Stanley Jones. Jones was a Methodist missionary to India who wrote several influential books and whose efforts in evangelism were phenomenal and whose methods were far ahead of his time. He also had a keen eye on…
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Continue reading →: The Day After Labor Day
Isn’t it ironic that we celebrate labor by taking a day off from it? Perhaps we should celebrate Labor Day by working a double shift, or maybe simply have a big party after the day’s work with our co-workers to commemorate what we accomplished. Okay, maybe that’s not a great…
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Continue reading →: The Comparison Game
“A brother who shared a lodging with other brothers asked Abba Bessarion, ‘What should I do?’ The old man replied, ‘Keep silence and do not compare yourself with others.’” — Sayings of the Desert Fathers. We are constantly tempted to compare ourselves with others, especially when it comes to the…
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Continue reading →: Sacrifice
What do you think when you read the word “sacrifice”? Where do we sacrifice, or for what do we sacrifice? I think of parents who sacrifice for their children. They delay or do away with completely something good for themselves toward the service of a greater good, their child’s good.…
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Continue reading →: Beeson IV Begins
Beginning in 2008, nine pastors from around the United States began a journey of education, spiritual growth, leadership development, and community building. Coming from Colorado, Florida, Kentucky, New York, Ohio, Oklahoma, Tennessee, and Utah, we started the Beeson Pastor Program Doctor of Ministry in Biblical Preaching and Leadership at…
Hello,
I’m Chris
Welcome to Flourishing Life, a space designed to help you pursue the abundant life God offers everyone. Jesus said in John 10:10, “I came that they may have life and have it abundantly” (ESV). I’m convinced God created the world for flourishing human life. However, we’ve all contributed to the brokenness in the world and our own lives. Many don’t even realize a better way is possible. My hope for this blog is that you’ll discover the life God has always intended for you, the ones you love, and the world.
Flourishing Life 