Author: rustytugman

I've been working on becoming more intentional about giving thanks to God, no matter what my circumstances. To help me with this, I have turned to the psalms of thanksgiving, praying the text. Praying these psalms brings to mind things for which to be thankful that I might not think about otherwise. One of those … Continue reading A Habit of Thanksgiving

I often find myself gravitating to 1 John 5:13-21 to be reminded of who I am and how I want to live. That passage contains several affirmations that can guide your approach to the week ahead. So, take a few minutes and reflect on the following thoughts... "I write these things to you who believe … Continue reading Thoughts to Start the Week

Isaiah 52:7 says... How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of those who bring good news, who proclaim peace, who bring good tidings, who proclaim salvation, who say to Zion, "Your God reigns!" You are never as beautiful as when you are genuinely making Jesus known to others, proclaiming in word and deed the … Continue reading How Beautiful

A new month provides an opportunity... To reset your goals - what do you want to accomplish this month? To renew your commitments - what values do you want to live by? To revisit your priorities - what's most important to you and why? To rewrite your calendar - what does your calendar reveal about … Continue reading New Month, New Mindset

This is an encouraging post from fellow preacher John Dobbs... If you’re like most people, certain events in life leave you wondering. What is God up to? Whether it’s a financial reversal, family problems, or even the unexpected death of a loved one, we can honestly wonder if God’s paying attention. Sometimes it can feel … Continue reading What Is God Up To?

I've spent the last two days training supervisors on how to lead their teams in ways that help them thrive and be their best. If you're interested in doing that for your team, here's some good reminders from Jon Gordon...

Yesterday I co-preached a sermon with Randy Johns on the essential beliefs of Christianity. You can find that sermon and others here. In the mid to late 1860s, Charles Hodge, the former principal of Princeton Theological Seminary, described Christianity and being a Christian like this... Christianity, objectively considered, is the testimony of God concerning his … Continue reading What Is Christianity & What Is a Christian?

From Jim Martin's Encouragement Note... If you want to stand out in this world, try becoming a more gracious person. Across the culture, you can find angry, outraged people. Some may seem ready to cut you off because you don’t agree with them. In contrast, a gracious person embodies the grace of God. These are … Continue reading Choose to Be More Gracious

I've recently returned to running after a very long break and I didn't realize how much I missed the running community, which is known for being incredibly supportive and encouraging. Yesterday, I was running along a trail and passed, what I presumed to be, a middle school cross country team who was training on the … Continue reading Keep Going

Mondays always have the feel of renewal. It's the start of a new workweek that's filled with new opportunities. It's a time to reset priorities, restart goal pursuits, and rededicate oneself to one's values. It's also a time to wipe the slate clean from the disappointments of the previous week and start a new week … Continue reading Wiping the Slate Clean