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When the Church Is Crazy About Broken People

Crack Me Up

Broken people will flock to the church. We can debate all day long about whether the church should be attractional or not. What we should really be talking about is how the church should be attractional. Ultimately, if all we're doing is putting on a good show, playing good music, and preaching good sermons, …

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Andrew Alan Cox (“Drew”) Is Here

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Drew is here whether the world is ready for him or not. He was a big surprise when we found out we were pregnant in light of our long struggle with secondary infertility before having Drew's older brother, Sam. The doctor explained that he was more of a miracle than we'd realized. Angie only has one tube and it …

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5 Ways to Encourage People Into God’s Family

Welcome

I've heard plenty of sermons about how our evangelistic ineffectiveness is directly attributable to our lack of love for lost people. Usually somewhere in those sermons is the phrase, "We just don't care enough." While I'm sure that's true to one degree or another at any given time, I have a different …

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Three Things Kids Need to See In Their Parents

Old Family Photo

We sometimes think that raising kids well is all about what we tell them. But what is even more important is what we show them. And if you want to do the best you can for the next generation's sake, you'll model at least these three traits in your home. Security and Stability Kids need to know that they're …

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Everybody Belongs, Starting with You

Stained Glass

Everybody belongs. When we say everybody, we mean every color, every shape, every personality, and people with every kind of story imaginable. Everyone belongs, even before they believe. It's sad that we have to expound on the word "everybody" to make sure people know that we mean everybody. This is the …

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Whatever It Takes, Short of Sin

Into the Darkness

At Grace Hills, we will do whatever it takes, short of sin, to find people far from God and lead them to life in Jesus. That's one of our core values, and it's the one that probably creates the most tension for Christians. It's a value that is drawn straight from Scripture: I have become all things to all …

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The Abiding Church: Calling Church Leaders Back to Jesus

The Abiding Church

When I first moved back to northwest Arkansas to plant a church, not everyone understood. Even quite a few church leaders wondered why the neighborhood needed another church. But Nate Sweeney embraced us and has encouraged us all along the way. I so appreciate his ministry in northwest Arkansas, and I'm excited …

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Planting Churches and Popping Bubbles

Double Bubbles

When we started planting Grace Hills Church, we moved fast. We had our first public information meeting in July of 2011 and launched in January of 2012. Some planting strategists would make the assumption that we were all about getting to the weekend show and not enough about making disciples. Nothing could be …

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A Dozen Ways to Kill a Great Idea

Some committee's recording clerk, waiting for action to happen.

Ever watched a really good idea crash and burn? Me too. Here's some brutal honesty... entire movements have gone down in flames because of boneheaded approaches to good ideas. This isn't to say we can't afford to make mistakes. In fact, the only way to know we're taking risks is to make mistakes. We can't …

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Three Prerequisites to Leading Others Well

Ninety and Nine

Being loud doesn't make you a leader. Neither does being popular. Leadership is influence, and influence means taking people in a direction they wouldn't otherwise be going - hopefully forward. Ambition isn't enough to qualify you to lead. There is more to the equation. You need to be led before you can …

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