Author: rustytugman

I've been reading Pete Scazzero for years, and this is a useful reflection tool...

The other day I came across this quote from C.S. Lewis that is from his book The Screwtape Letters... "All mortals tend to turn into the thing they are pretending to be." This is a powerful quote. It's a more powerful observation. What or who are you pretending to be that, if you don't stop, … Continue reading Pretending

I recently saw an interview with actor and activist George Clooney in which he was asked the following question: "Are worried about our democracy?" In one part of his answer Clooney said, "I'm concerned about how we celebrate unkindness." That's something that should concern us Christians as well. In fact, kindness is one of the … Continue reading Kindness

Dear Lord, It was another anxious night here in the land of storms. Most weathered the storm in tact. Some did not. Some in our church family and in our community are left picking up the pieces. And a different kind of storm threatens. A storm of fear. A storm of worry. A storm of … Continue reading Storms (A Prayer)

Twenty years ago this month I started my preaching ministry at the Alameda Church of Christ. I've seen a lot, been through a lot, and grown a lot during that time. When I became a preacher, I never had any illusions that I would be the best or have the biggest congregation. Those things weren't … Continue reading 20 Years

"Wo ist das?" That German phrase has been the source of many laughs for my friend David Jurney and me over the years. In English it means, "Where is that?," which shouldn't be hard to remember, but for me it was. When we were in college, Dave and I, along with a host of other … Continue reading Goodbye, Friend

A prayer for holiness by William Loader... O God, You are holy, and deep within ourselves where our souls touch the ground, where our being meets your being, we are on holy ground and your holiness surrounds us and calls our name. Your holiness is your goodness, your generosity towards us and the silence which … Continue reading Make Us Holy (A Prayer)

Do you ever get discouraged? Do you ever get discouraged in your faith? Do you ever get discouraged with the church? Do you ever get discouraged with your ability to obey Jesus consistently? Do you ever get discouraged with the world? Yes! We all do at times. I do at times. So, how do we … Continue reading How to Deal with Discouragement

In Genesis 15, as God is making his covenant with Abram/Abraham, God says to him, "Fear not, Abram, I am your shield..." (v. 1). I love that line. "Fear not, Abram, I am your shield..." Ever since then, as evidenced by Scripture, people have described God accordingly. This is also how I have experienced God. … Continue reading “I Am Your Shield”

In their classic book on leadership, The Leadership Challenge, James Kouzes and Barry Posner share the findings of one of the most comprehensive research studies ever done on leadership. That study shows that the most effective leaders do 5 things consistently well. Those five practices can also apply to Christ-followers who sincerely want to share … Continue reading 5 Commitments Every Christian Should Make in 2023