Category Archives: christian life

Who Is Increasing In Your Life?

By caryschmidt | July 30, 2010

The final message of Spiritual Leadership Conference 2010 was brought by Dr. Don Sisk and entitled “He Must Increase, I Must Decrease.” It was awesome! It profoundly impacted me, and I wanted to share a synopsis of it here. Perhaps it will encourage you.
Taken from the statement of John the Baptist in John 3:30, Dr. [...]

Also posted in leadership | Tagged biblical living, devotional thoughts, ministry | 3 Comments

Get a Bike…

By caryschmidt | June 5, 2010

If you and your family haven’t gotten into taking bike rides yet, be sure to get it done before your kids get too big! I confess—I waited too long.
A few years ago I bought myself a bike and had a grand vision of getting all five of us cruising around Lancaster’s “beautiful” east side on [...]

Also posted in family | Tagged devotional thoughts, family | 1 Comment

Skeptics, Spectators, and Servants

By caryschmidt | May 19, 2010

In John 11, the amazing story of the raising of Lazarus unfolds. Not long ago, I was studying this passage and it occurred to me that there were three distinct groups of people at this resurrection, and those groups are still pretty much “alive and kicking” in today’s local churches.
Picture the scene—Jesus has waited for [...]

Also posted in ministry & outreach | Tagged biblical living, devotional thoughts, leadership, local church, ministry, team | 1 Comment

A Walk Through Divine Artistry

By caryschmidt | April 30, 2010

Fifteen minutes west of our church campus, God does something amazing every spring, and I wanted to share it with you. It’s unlike anything I’ve ever seen, and this year in particular it has captivated my attention. Perhaps this devotional moment will encourage you.
After a long winter of excessive rain, the desert has blossomed, once [...]

Posted in christian life | Tagged biblical living, devotional thoughts | 3 Comments

The Forgotten Side of Submission

By caryschmidt | March 23, 2010

Not long ago, my wife and I were faced with a really difficult decision. We were faced with two very important schedule conflicts and there was no way we could fulfill both. For several days we worked the situation over in our minds and in talking together. No matter what we chose, something very important [...]

Posted in christian life | Tagged family, leadership, local church, marriage, parenting, teaching | 3 Comments

Before You Criticize Your Pastor…

By caryschmidt | March 15, 2010

Ever noticed that some people relish the criticism of pastors? Like kids and candy—they addict themselves even though it’s rotting something in them. While choosing voluntarily to stay under his leadership, they commit themselves to finding and exploiting every possible imperfection. I’ve never understood this thinking. Selecting a pastor, only to proceed to condemn the [...]

Posted in christian life | Tagged biblical living, church staff, danger, leadership, local church, ministry, satanic, team | 8 Comments

Andrew Murray on Trials

By caryschmidt | March 6, 2010

This quote about trials from Andrew Murray found its way to me through Dr. Mark Rasmussen. Perhaps it will encourage you!
“First, He brought me here. It is by His will I am in this strait place: in that fact I will rest.”
“Next, He will keep me here in His love, and give me grace to [...]

Posted in christian life | Tagged biblical living, counseling, teaching | Leave a comment

You Are What You Listen To (Part 2)

By caryschmidt | December 29, 2009

This article is part two. You can read part 1 here.
Music Influences Your Heart (Your Mind, Will, and Emotions)
Music, primarily harmonies, always communicates emotion. In many ways, music is emotion. This means it powerfully impacts your thoughts and decisions. You could say your music is the soundtrack of your life—it paints emotions, thoughts, meditations, moods, and [...]

Posted in christian life | Tagged biblical living, music | 1 Comment

Christmas from a 4 Year Old!

By caryschmidt | December 24, 2009

A friend of mine who serves the Lord at the BBN Radio Network sent me this link to the Christmas story told by a four-year-old little girl. It blessed our family. It will captivate you from the first word! Merry Christmas!

This was recorded and is available on CD from Jeff Apthorp, Sound Amazing Studios. The [...]

Posted in christian life | Tagged family, parenting | Leave a comment

You Are What You Listen To (Part 1)

By caryschmidt | December 8, 2009

You’ve heard the statement “you are what you eat.” And, physically this is true—your body and health are merely products of what you digest. But rarely do we make the same connection to our spiritual lives. In other words, “you are what you listen to.”
Have you ever considered that your musical listening habits have a [...]

Posted in christian life | Tagged biblical living, ministry, music, teaching | 2 Comments

A Funny Reminder to be Thankful!

By caryschmidt | November 26, 2009

Several weeks ago, a dear friend sent me this story and the encouragement that follows. I repost it here, on Thanksgiving Day in hopes that it will encourage you.
Two old friends met each other on the street one day. One looked forlorn, almost on the verge of tears. His friend asked, “What has the world [...]

Also posted in humor | Tagged biblical living, humor | 2 Comments

Making God’s Will Less Confusing

By caryschmidt | October 19, 2009

Life is complex. God’s will isn’t. In fact, at any given moment, there’s a powerful question you can ask to determine if you are in or out of His will. It’s simply this:
“Did I follow God to where I am right now?”
The Holy Spirit will instantly resonate the answer in your heart—you will know it [...]

Posted in christian life | Tagged biblical living, college and career, counseling, leadership, parenting, sunday school, teaching | 1 Comment

10 Ways to Renew Your Spirit

By Cary Schmidt | October 8, 2009

Ever get depleted?
Ever reach the bottom of the barrel when it comes to spiritual energy or passion?
Don’t overreact! It doesn’t necessarily mean you’re doing all the wrong things with your life. You’re faith is probably still alive and well. There’s no need to go AWOL. Don’t start doubting every good decision or direction [...]

Also posted in featured, productivity | 3 Comments

Three Reasons to Get Good Advice

By Cary Schmidt | August 28, 2009

Isn’t it amazing how often people venture into major life-changing decisions without getting any outside, biblical advice. Why do we do this to ourselves?
Sometimes we fear that a counselor will have a private agenda and won’t counsel us honestly. At other times, we presume to know what our counselors will say, and rationalize it away [...]

Also posted in counseling | Tagged biblical living, college and career, counseling, teaching | 2 Comments

Lessons from a 17th Century Graveyard

By Cary Schmidt | July 23, 2009

“Lord, give me an ‘engraveable’ testimony like Benjamin Edwards!”

This misty morning, my wife and I took a slow, cloud-shrouded stroll through a 350-year-old cemetery in a churchyard in Setauket, Long Island. The church was established in 1660 and the graveyard was filled with tombstones barely readable after hundreds of years of decay. What we were [...]

Also posted in family | Tagged biblical living, college and career | 3 Comments