“For I am already being poured out like a drink offering, and the time for my departure is near. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to … Continue reading If You Don’t Quit You Can’t Lose
Many years ago there was a great prizefighter by the name of John L. Sullivan. In his day he was the greatest heavyweight champion the world had ever known. There is a story told about one particular fight where Sullivan went up against a guy who was really just a skinny little pip-squeak. The odds … Continue reading One More Round
When my wife and I were dating as teenagers, one summer we visited Charleston, SC with her family. While there we decided to go to the beach for a day. Our quest for sand and sun landed us at the beautiful Folly Beach. As we walked along the shore looking for the perfect spot to … Continue reading Folly Beach
A few months ago I read a blog written by Ric Shewell titled: “Why I Left the Church of the Nazarene.” He was obviously disappointed in his experience with the processes of the Church of the Nazarene (CotN) and I sympathized with him. I thought to myself: I’ve been there and I know how he … Continue reading Why I Didn’t Leave the Church of the Nazarene
Bittersweet days… saying “goodbye” is usually bittersweet. When I preached my last sermon at Raleigh First Church, it was bittersweet. Now, just a few years later and I’ve preached my last sermon at Decatur First Church. These departures were bitter because it’s difficult to leave a place that gets it: a place that truly embodies … Continue reading I Love People
When people realize that they get to live a life they don’t deserve, when their life has been invaded by grace and they’re filled with gratitude, you know what happens? It begins to show. It begins to show in their faces because they smile more. It begins to show in their words because they’re kinder … Continue reading Generosity Flows Out
Gratitude is the natural by-product of grace. Yet, I know from experience how quickly I can forget God’s grace and start complaining. How easily my focus shifts from what I should be grateful for, to what I don’t have. Do you ever have to remind your kids about this? Have you ever had this conversation? … Continue reading Gratitude Fills Up
Grace… in Christian circles we throw around that word quite frequently. However, I’m not convinced that we really understand the magnitude of these five letters. There is so much in that one little word. We often take it for granted and we drastically understate it. It’s like calling the Grand Canyon a hole in the … Continue reading Grace Flows In
China was quite the journey, exciting and fun, yet stressful and nerve-racking at the same time. The jet lag the first two days was extreme. We found ourselves wanting to sleep during the day and sitting up through the night. On the third day we met Kacey Xing-Yu Powell. The night before our meeting was … Continue reading Journey of Love
#1 – Everybody wants to be somebody. Every single person on the face of the earth has been wonderfully created in the image of God. Sin has distorted that image and our job as the church is to help people reconnect with a sense of self-worth. God is establishing his kingdom and the subjects of that … Continue reading Five Things About People
Brian L Powell 