Foundational Missions

Recently a close friend sent me this content.  It doesn’t belong to me, but, seeing the embed option, I figured it was created with the intent to share.  It is from a conference that was recently held by an organization that supports churches and ministries.  I want to encourage you to watch it.

I am not super familiar with the speaker, tho we met once on a plane a decade ago and had an interesting interaction about Jesus, but his words here got my attention.  They will help you, I believe.

If you’d like to see the original location of the content, and the other keynote speakers who were a part of this effort, click here.

“If we consider the unblushing promises of reward … promised in the Gospels, it would seem that our Lord finds our desires not too strong, but too weak. We are half-hearted creatures, fooling about with drink and sex and ambition when infinite joy is offered us, like an ignorant child who wants to go on making mud pies in a slum because he cannot imagine what is meant by the offer of a holiday at sea. We are far too easily pleased.”

― C.S. Lewis, The Weight of Glory Continue reading “Promises of Reward”

By the time you see this post, the BrotherHood Summit in Lake Michigan may be in full swing, or over.  Nevertheless, I thought I would capture a few thoughts on the importance of men encouraging men.

We started BroSummit some few years ago, maybe three.  We do them every nine months or so, and have alternated between US and international, with two being abroad, one in Monterrey, Mexico area and the other in Nicaragua.  This will be our fifth, and we are thankful for the chance to come together, as men.

Over time, three objectives have emerged:

Encouraging men

• in their faith
• their relationships
• in their manhood / masculinity Continue reading “BroSummit Lake Michigan”

Escucha el pod-cast de esta serie disponible en Ingles

https://fxmissions.com/101

 Nadie puede empezar como un líder experimentado, independientemente del talento o potencial. Empezamos desde el principio.Si nos comportamos sabiamente, podemos ahorrar la preparación, para llegar a ser un líder experimentado, un tiempo innecesariamente largo. Si somos imprudentes, alargamos el tiempo, o peor aún,

Continue reading “Trampas del Liderazgo Joven”

Hey all here is a quick update from Sharon about her recent trip to Uganda!

Check out her podcast she did with us in advance at leadersmoment.org!

She will also be sitting in for another podcast soon for a more lengthy interview.  You will be able to find that at fromtheforefront.com.

And thanks!

We have established a new priesthood, not after the order of Levi, and certainly not the order of Melchizedek, but after the order of Luther, and, after that, pick your flavor of preference.
 
We have done any and all of the things those who came before us did, and we have made all their mistakes, including Adam, those at the tower of Babel, the children of Israel, the Pharisees, the early Church, and on and on.  Have we owned up to that?  Wait… we are better than them, less prone to errors, more enlightened, stronger.

Continue reading “Contrast”

Strongholds in the heart limit us in the complete expression of our life in Christ, and restrict our contribution, and thereby, our fruitfulness. We are constricted and cannot surrender fully when we have strongholds in our hearts. These have to be confronted and shown for what they are, enemies of the cross, in order for us to be free to come to full expression / reflection of Christ. This confrontation can be (and is) gentle at times, and other times dramatic. Our attitude may have a bearing on how gentle or dramatic it is, as well. Continue reading “Strongholds”

The Thai summer break for Geshem and Iris is coming to a close. Next week Iris will start Preschool Level 2 and Geshem will go into grade 4! We were elated when we got Geshem’s first ever standardized test scores back last month. Even though we know that standardized tests aren’t the best indicator of skills or knowledge, we were amazed that Geshem scored around 17 percent higher than the national average in 2 of the 3 areas tested. We are so proud of who he is becoming. He has strong academic skills, as well as social emotional skills. He is a good example to us, his peers, and his sister:) Continue reading “Lorensen Thailand Update – May 2017”

We had a good time in Juarez… Team was solid and relationships were meaningful.  Great to be re-united with some friends we haven’t seen in a few years. Thanks to those who went and those who received us… the road is long and the hours also, but, it was completely worthwhile.

Much appreciation to the folks at Juarez House of Prayer for inviting us, and also to our good friends at Punto de Encuentro Fellowship for having us back.  Always a blessing to be with friends. We were able to capture a number of Leadership Moment podcast episodes while there, so watch for those coming up soon. Continue reading “Juarez May 2017”

Kate Nevarez, on the lead up to the Nicaragua Young Leaders event….  she shares how leadership is more than just being a leader and one way to learn leadership skills that people often forget.

Kate’s Website: http://nevarezmissions.org

Sometimes, the Lord surprises you. That’s the way it was in this BroSummit. Lots of variety in backgrounds and places called home, so I knew, or at least anticipated, we were in for something special.

It was better than that.

Continue reading “BroSummit Texas 2017”

Contending for the faith once delivered – James

The Standard of Expectation

Seems like, for the most part, we Christians continue to primarily organize ourselves around public, group meetings.  Doesn’t it seem like the “Sunday morning meeting” is highest priority in the congregation you attend?  This is the one you get the most social demerits if you miss, right? Continue reading “An open letter to my brothers and sisters”

by A. W. Tozer

Some people object to taking vows, but in the Bible you will find many great men of God directed by covenants, promises, vows, and pledges. The psalmist was not averse to the taking of vows. He said, “Thy vows are upon me, 0 God, I will render my praises unto thee” (Psalm [56:12]).

My counsel in this matter is that if you are really concerned about spiritual improvement – the gaining of new power, new life, new joy, and new personal revival within your heart -you will do well to make certain vows and proceed to keep them. if you should fail, go down in humility and repent and start over. But always keep these vows before you. They will help harmonize your heart with the vast powers that flow out and down from the throne where Christ sits at the right hand of God.

A carnal man refuses the discipline of such commitments. He says, “I want to be free. I don’t want to lay any vows upon myself; I don’t believe in it; it is legalism.” Well, let me paint a picture of two men. Continue reading “Five Vows to Make and Keep / Tozer”

Five years ago I interviewed a friend of a friend who had just completed The World Race.   You may have heard of it or known someone who has been on it… you know, 11 countries in 11 months.  If you don’t know, google it.  There’s a lot out there on it.  I had been down to visit the founder and some of the directors of the program prior to that, but wanted to get a perspective of someone who didn’t work for Adventures in Missions (the organization who runs The Race).  I was thankful for Samara’s transparent feedback.  If you want to read that interview, click here….

This time we didn’t catch up over Skype, like the time before.  We sat down in Chiang Mai for a face to face, and even though I knew Samara a little better over the time in between, this was my first time to meet her in person.  I was thankful for the opportunity. Continue reading “Samara Marie…. 5 years later”

If my life is so unremarkable, why the idle chatter and incessant neediness? Are we attempting to be coddled in the ambiance of indifference, from the echoes of our own voice and those who sound just like us? Let’s all live down to the averages or below, and spew idle and persistent encouragement to our comrades in chains, snared in uselessness and blind wandering. Will we ever grow sick of ourselves? i hope so.

Why do we set our eyes, hopes (and fears) on everything that surrounds us, and not lift our gaze to the only One who imbues with transforming power? Or should we go on and continue to let our circumstances define us, drawing our identity from mediocrity?

We seem to have gone so long on the road of the nominal – keeping within expectations – that we are trying to make it a more comfortable passing, instead of rising above it. Perhaps we prefer all of this underwhelming existence to the risk required to break free? And yet, even with a hint of hope that breaking free is possible, it lingers just outside our grasp. How can we summon the courage necessary for change?

Phooey, and utter contempt on the low living of the averages. I was born, you were born, to overcome. Continue reading “My Unremarkable Life”

Guest Post by Gret Glyer…  Check out his blog at >>>>This LINK<<<<

How Crazy Love, Kony 2012, charity: water, and the Vlogbrothers changed my life.

Three years ago I didn’t have a Facebook, I thought Twitter was stupid, and I was seriously considering spending a year as a monk (not kidding). Now I have a YouTube channel, a podcast, a blog, and I’m incessantly promoting myself on several social media platforms, multiple times a week.

So…what changed?

Here’s what: Francis Chan. Jason Russell. Scott Harrison. John Green.

The following is a brief history of people who have inspired me, in chronological order. Continue reading “How Crazy Love, Kony 2012, charity: water, and the Vlogbrothers changed my life.”

Our friend Tony takes a minute to discuss the creep of Universalism, in a few different forms, and adds some thoughts to help you clarify things in the midst of tides….

It was dollar-a-slice night at Carmela’s Pizza. This local dive was our favorite place to be on Tuesdays. While you might infer our affinity was due to the fact that Tuesday was also dollar draft night, the real reason for this ritual was simpler: Friendship. Sometimes all the guys would come out, but on this particular occasion it was just my Brazilian friend Davi (DAH’vee) and I. We sat at the usual spot, talking intermittently around grease logged bites of pizza. After we finished and paid the check, I stood up to go. But Davi didn’t stand up. Instead he looked up at me quizzically.
“Are you in a hurry?”
“Noooo, not really,” I replied, clearly puzzled.
He nodded his head and asked, “Do you have to be somewhere?”
I slowly shook my head and shrugged, “Nope, I don’t.” What does he want? I wondered, raising my eyebrows.
“Why don’t you sit down and lets talk for a while?” he indicated toward the booth seat opposite his.
“Ohhhhhh, ya!” came my slow reply. “I’d never thought of that before!” I stood there grinning like an idiot at my discovery:
I don’t have to get up and leave right away!
This is not another checkbox on my to-do list.
Huh… Continue reading “Friendship”