Comments on: Fanning the Spiritual Flame

By: Better Blogs « From McGill

Better Blogs « From McGill — Thu, 04 Dec 2008 15:40:08 +0000

[...] http://swerve.lifechurch.tv/2008/12/03/fanning-the-spiritual-flame/ [...]

By: Heady

Heady — Thu, 04 Dec 2008 04:46:09 +0000

Good stuff Craig. I will print off this list to keep in my file. I agree with the comment on waking up early as well. That always stretches me as well.

By: Glen Eyrie

Glen Eyrie — Wed, 03 Dec 2008 21:21:01 +0000

TXMOM4 - Thanks for mentioning Glen Eyrie and our ministry here. I also wanted to add that we have many retreats through out the year on differing topics. You can find them here http://www.navigators.org/us/ministries/gleneyrie/retreats/cornerstone. Thanks

By: Q & A « meridiblog

Q & A « meridiblog — Wed, 03 Dec 2008 20:49:31 +0000

[...] December 3, 2008 · No Comments This is taken from the Swerve blog [...]

By: Jose Carlos Ramos

Jose Carlos Ramos — Wed, 03 Dec 2008 17:56:51 +0000

Hi, I am a pastor from México and I appreciate very much your ministry, it really challenge me. How useful is the practices of silence and contemplative life in maintaining the fire in our hearts?
Thanks a lot

By: Wake Up Call « float with me

Wake Up Call « float with me — Wed, 03 Dec 2008 16:58:42 +0000

[...] the rest at lifechurch.tv and get smacked (in a good [...]

By: Avery

Avery — Wed, 03 Dec 2008 16:35:44 +0000

Great action steps demonstrating faith that does something!

By: txmom4

txmom4 — Wed, 03 Dec 2008 15:35:30 +0000

I’m an idiot. There are phones there. Sorry about that.

By: txmom4

txmom4 — Wed, 03 Dec 2008 15:32:14 +0000

I believe when you have found something incredible, you should share it with everyone you meet. And please believe I am not trying to “advertise” for this place. But I have had the most amazing experiences at Glen Eyrie in Colorado Springs. It’s a retreat center owned by the Navigators. It is absolutely gorgeous, and there are no phones or televisions or other mindless distractions. They hold a “personal spiritual retreat” once a month, and I highly recommend it! http://www.navigators.org/us/ministries/gleneyrie/retreats/innovospiritualretreat/innovo

By: Larry Yarborough

Larry Yarborough — Wed, 03 Dec 2008 14:50:10 +0000

Your posts are an adreneline rush to my heart - thanks.

I wonder if you’ve ever done the one you recommend about hitting the hotel alone for a week of restoration?

By: Craig Groeschel

Craig Groeschel — Wed, 03 Dec 2008 14:43:28 +0000

Brandon, You are welcome. I love pastors so much. Thank you for being a part of the blog family.

Jeremy, It can be tough for pastors to be spiritually vulnerable with leaders. But without transparency, the pastor is going to be at greater risk over time. It can be a catch-22, but I believe the pastor must do whatever it takes to keep the spiritual fires burning.

By: Brandon Duff

Brandon Duff — Wed, 03 Dec 2008 14:35:08 +0000

Thanks Craig for pastoring pastors. I know that this blog is read by thousands, but you connect in a way that is personal. I’ve sat here reading this post over and over, listening to God and searching my heart. Thanks for your investment in my life. My walk with God and our church is better for it.
“God, draw me close to you - show me how to be still before you - God, fan the flame in my life.”

By: Jeremy

Jeremy — Wed, 03 Dec 2008 14:28:19 +0000

We talked about yesterday in our fight club time (men’s breakfast) about how much people like to see pastors lives in a fishbowl. The unfortunate part for many pastors is that when they do burnout, and become lukewarm, they can’t go to their elders, or be honest with their church. It would make them lose credibility, and influence. It’s a shame that our churches have become a place that expects & demands perfection from the pastor, but tolerates and accepts sin from everywhere else.

That’s why I appreciate ministries like Craig’s. He’s a pastors pastor. We need more churches like that.

By: Robin Meadows

Robin Meadows — Wed, 03 Dec 2008 14:25:23 +0000

Love the “read a children’s Bible” idea. God’s Truth is really simplistic…and in our hectic lives we tend to complicate things and become overwhelmed. Great idea!

By: Jeremy Scheller

Jeremy Scheller — Wed, 03 Dec 2008 14:13:12 +0000

that was a spiritual slap in hind-side. good word.

By: Erin

Erin — Wed, 03 Dec 2008 14:07:51 +0000

Our church staff are encouraged to take a monthly one-day retreat to avoid yesterday’s list. Mine is in my schedule for the last Friday of every month.

For those who need something more drastic like the ideas above, I recommend the Pastors Retreat Network. They provide a free weeklong self-guided retreat in a few locations. My wife and I just got back from the Wisconsin location and can’t recommend it more highly - we are encouraging all of the pastors from our church to go with their spouses within the next two years. The website is http://www.pastorsretreatnetwork.org

If you are doing well financially, you might consider giving to the PRN to help underwrite the cost of the retreat so they can continue helping pastors not be burned out and lukewarm.

By: jim

jim — Wed, 03 Dec 2008 14:07:31 +0000

Besides doing some of the things listed above I listen to messages and sermons from respected leaders that have gotten my attention back on Christ in the past.

Thanks for the thoughts!

By: jenn Cady

jenn Cady — Wed, 03 Dec 2008 14:06:43 +0000

Thank you For This Post…It grabbed my heart and I openly confess my own ridiculous apathy in my own life ! I pray to be continually rattled and I pray that I stay awake from my own worldly “Coma”…God is changing me and the teaching at Life Church during ” Practical Atheist ” was an amazing but difficult series to encounter…but the teaching has set a new spark in my life. Thank you for challenging us in our walk….

By: Craig Groeschel

Craig Groeschel — Wed, 03 Dec 2008 13:57:12 +0000

Tom, Great thoughts on getting up early!

Kevin, I did a whole week on sermon prep. Can’t remember the title. You can search the site to find it.

Janowen, Thanks for the recommendation.

Aaron and Milan, So glad this is helpful. Blessings.

By: Tom

Tom — Wed, 03 Dec 2008 13:30:40 +0000

If I can’t go away somewhere, I get up at an hour that is early enough to be really uncomfortable for me and pray. I learned that I have to stand up and pray at that time or I will fall back asleep. That always seems to spark a fire in me. Thanks for the great post Craig. When I first started in ministry I was on fire and thought it would grow and be easy when I did it full time. Now I realize that I have to work harder at it and be more disciplined.