tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-65915153731534406882011-11-27T15:44:53.819-08:00One Christian disciples journey thourgh this life, as a follower of Christ. Blogs are of Christian interest, church life and growth in christ.Dr. Max High, ThDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02990481372040062375noreply@blogger.comBlogger221100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6591515373153440688.post-6790756700536164272009-10-05T07:25:00.000-07:002009-10-05T08:08:06.045-07:00

Yes, you read it right. I am moving from Miami, Fl to the cold upper Midwest. Becky and I will be moving into my mother’s home in Ft. Wayne, In to take on the obligation of caregivers. She is no long able to live safely alone. Although this is not what we planned, it is a responsibility that we feel keenly. It will be a new adventure for us that we are embracing gratefully as God's will for

Dr. Max High, ThDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02990481372040062375noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6591515373153440688.post-10677756549359243652009-09-04T08:57:00.000-07:002009-09-04T09:00:50.896-07:00

Its Labor Day weekend. It starts for most of us as soon as we get off work today. Although I hope that you will be in church with me on Sunday I know that some of you will take advantage of the 3 day weekend and hit the beaches and the Keys and will be enjoying our Florida sun, surf and sand. If you take that last little vacation or you worship with me this Sunday I have a challenge for

Dr. Max High, ThDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02990481372040062375noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6591515373153440688.post-2389281052626341192009-08-14T09:03:00.000-07:002009-08-14T09:16:53.374-07:00

Disciple Making[1]In December 2008 our congregation celebrated our 50th anniversary. What a fantastic time we had renewing old relationships and looking back. It was nice, but, it also pointed out a problem. We were looking backwards not forward. The longer any organization exists the more this trend takes hold. It is called institutionalism. Institutionalism causes the organization (churches

Dr. Max High, ThDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02990481372040062375noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6591515373153440688.post-44848570330964199532009-08-06T20:48:00.000-07:002009-08-06T20:52:57.484-07:00

The number is staggering. According to Lifeway Research 150,000[1] are leaving the American church every week. That’s not a mistaken number. The number of zero’s is correct and it is unbelievably tragic for America. Here’s why it hurts us so much. The moral teaching of Judeo/Christian faith found the scripture are the foundation of this country’s cultural greatness. As our moral and religious

Dr. Max High, ThDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02990481372040062375noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6591515373153440688.post-43804725302893476292009-08-04T08:39:00.001-07:002009-08-04T08:39:33.229-07:00

Many years ago a missionary to Africa was the guest speaker in one of my college classes. He was speaking on the subject of cultural differences and the way laws were enforced in tribal areas of Zimbabwe. One of the most interesting facts was how certain sins were punished. If for instance, there was a charge of infidelity and adultery, a peace offering given by the offending male to the

Dr. Max High, ThDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02990481372040062375noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6591515373153440688.post-46436337183654770022009-07-17T19:50:00.000-07:002009-07-17T20:05:48.284-07:00

Acts 17 16—34I have been talking of late about the world of the unchurched and how we can enter into their world. If we are going to invite folks from outside faith to cross the threshold into faith community we need to know of which they come. There are many ways to do this but they may be summarized in two ways.We can begin to enter the world of the unchurched from a distance.We can do that by

Dr. Max High, ThDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02990481372040062375noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6591515373153440688.post-45026602083920876742009-07-10T11:01:00.000-07:002009-07-10T11:05:43.096-07:00

The Cost of Following Jesus Many years ago I attended a church where the pastor continually encouraged us to attend all services. I wondered at the time why he would be telling those of us who were regular in our attendance to keep on attending. It seemed like he was “preaching to the choir” as the old saying goes. I’ve since understood why we needed to be encouraged to remain faithful.Free

Dr. Max High, ThDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02990481372040062375noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6591515373153440688.post-36596772222417656332009-07-03T07:17:00.000-07:002009-07-03T07:20:04.397-07:00

A couple weeks ago I met with a few of my Ministry Team leaders. At that meeting I reviewed some of our goals for growth in the church and also some of the hindrances we face in meeting those goals. Many of our hindrances are invisible on the surface. Even so, they are very real, and they are incredibly tough to overcome. Let me expound on the four most prevalent growth inhibiting factors we face

Dr. Max High, ThDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02990481372040062375noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6591515373153440688.post-23859480992266185392009-06-26T12:37:00.000-07:002009-06-26T12:41:38.605-07:00

In an ideal fantasy world the words church and problem would never be used in the same sentence. However, we don’t live in a fantasy world and all too often those two words are the path of everyday life. People are people and even though we who are Christians have been justified, sanctified and look forward to being glorified with Christ, we are still people.We are human after allPeople are prone

Dr. Max High, ThDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02990481372040062375noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6591515373153440688.post-43415581882687152192009-06-26T11:32:00.000-07:002009-06-26T11:54:18.427-07:00

I serve a bi-lingual, multi-ethnic congregation in Miami, Florida. In our regular schedule are quarterly brunches that occur during our Sunday School hour. A question was asked of me this week: "Why do we continue the brunches when we lose an hour of teaching time during brunches? It gave me the chance to remind everyone in our congregation of the reasons for the brunches. The answer follows but

Dr. Max High, ThDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02990481372040062375noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6591515373153440688.post-61130036135857603152009-06-12T11:22:00.001-07:002009-06-13T18:50:29.058-07:00

2 Thess. 3:13But, as for you, brethren, do not grow weary in doing good. [1]Compassion fatigue, also known as a Secondary Traumatic Stress Disorder, is a term that refers to a gradual lessening of compassion over time. It’s common among victims of trauma and individuals that work directly with victims of trauma. It is also common among caregivers who deal with chronic problems or streams of

Dr. Max High, ThDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02990481372040062375noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6591515373153440688.post-2542957829566707362009-05-23T17:03:00.000-07:002009-05-23T17:11:41.479-07:00

We celebrate Memorial Day this weekend. My wife, Becky, predicts that attendance at churchwill be low because people use the weekend as a chance to get away for three days. What is the Memorial Day pattern at your church? I will reserve judgment on Becky's prediction until tomorrow (Sunday).Memorial Day is important to me and I hope to all Americans. The holiday wasoriginally known as Decoration

Dr. Max High, ThDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02990481372040062375noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6591515373153440688.post-85501923067737506592009-05-09T08:06:00.000-07:002009-05-09T08:12:41.431-07:00

I’m on vacation right now and writing to you from Cincinatti, Ohio, my daughters house. On this vacation we are visiting family. I don’t know how many of you know about my family, but we are a mixed bag of folks. We are from diverse places like Indiana, Ohio, Taiwan, Tennesee, Kentucky and Florida. We speak different languages: English, Chinese, and Spanish. We are muliti-generational: First,

Dr. Max High, ThDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02990481372040062375noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6591515373153440688.post-79575769109423155882009-04-28T11:35:00.000-07:002009-04-28T16:52:15.687-07:00

Yesterday my wife and I saw the movie, “The Soloist.” It was her pick not mine, and though I would recommend the movie, I did not enjoy it. “The Soloist” is a true story about a musical prodigy who because of a mental breakdown ends up homeless on the streets of Los Angeles.The reason I did not enjoy the movie is that it confronted my own fear of homelessness. I’ve have worked hard at concealing

Dr. Max High, ThDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02990481372040062375noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6591515373153440688.post-38794645731803954152009-04-13T11:40:00.000-07:002009-04-14T20:46:33.374-07:00

There are at least 3 areas that are changing in the way the church and culture are interacting. They are:1. Authenticity or “real” church.2. Entrance into the church.3. Community value of the church.Real Church----Bible exposition, Relevant style - Community serviceAccording to certain studies what is considered as “Real” church has changed over the years. Dave Travis, managing director of the

Dr. Max High, ThDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02990481372040062375noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6591515373153440688.post-88891236361294774722009-04-10T06:45:00.000-07:002009-04-10T06:49:38.470-07:00

On a day that we use to commemorate the crucifixion death of our Savior, you may be asking yourself, “What’s so good about Good Friday?”Good Friday is good because...Jesus completed his earthly mission of mercy on the day we call “Good Friday.” On Good Friday Jesus was condemned and crucified. John 19:16-19, says, “Finally Pilate handed him over to them to be crucified. So the soldiers took

Dr. Max High, ThDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02990481372040062375noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6591515373153440688.post-64365939989414729482009-04-03T10:50:00.000-07:002009-04-03T10:59:23.897-07:00

I once called myself a dinosaur. Not a lumbering Brontosaurus or a ferocious T-rex, but a generalist preacher in a church culture of specialists. Many in the church are dinosaurs just like me, struggling to keep up. Please let me explain.In order to communication the gospel there must be three things present. There must be a communicator, a receiver and a message. All three of them must be in

Dr. Max High, ThDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02990481372040062375noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6591515373153440688.post-33801298577732191062009-03-27T11:43:00.000-07:002009-03-27T11:53:24.827-07:00

Last Sunday morning my sermon was in response to the unexpected death of young member of our congregation. This accidental death of a father and husband shocked our body. Several people asked me this week about a portion of that sermon. I want to take this opportunity to summarize my response in regard to grief and the Christian.It is not wrong for us, who know Christ to weep, mourn and

Dr. Max High, ThDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02990481372040062375noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6591515373153440688.post-35116201841948870282009-03-20T08:51:00.000-07:002009-03-20T10:46:09.735-07:00

Last week I was asked by a friend, “How can I love God like I did in the beginning? I used to be so excited, but the excitement is gone. I want it back.” Maybe you’ve felt the same way. I believe this is common. I’ve thought about her question all week.The days after we give ourselves to Jesus as Lord are exciting days. We feel the rush of excitement as we realize that we are loved for ourselves

Dr. Max High, ThDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02990481372040062375noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6591515373153440688.post-2217376892999117452009-03-18T06:44:00.000-07:002009-03-18T06:47:10.862-07:00

What to do when you face mountains of difficulty in your life.Red Sea Rules*Exodus 141. Realize that God Means for you to be where you are.2. Be more concerned for God’s glory than for your relief. 3. Acknowledge your enemy, but keep your eyes on the Lord. 4. Pray5. Stay calm and confident, and give God time to work.6. When unsure, just take the next logical step by faith.7. Envision God’s

Dr. Max High, ThDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02990481372040062375noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6591515373153440688.post-5918400336066331412009-03-13T10:20:00.000-07:002009-03-13T10:22:17.740-07:00

Yesterday, I, along with my Hispanic ministry co-worker attended a meeting of the South Dade Children’s Resource Network (Miami Florida). This meeting was designed to bring people and agencies together who work within the community, especially with children and families. Its purpose was to let each other know what we were all doing collectively.We met with many other pastors and workers from

Dr. Max High, ThDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02990481372040062375noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6591515373153440688.post-49839420070178552492009-03-12T21:09:00.000-07:002009-03-12T21:42:14.111-07:00

I remember well, sitting in the car at a scenic overview of the girls dorms at Ozark Christian College. I had just “popped the question.” Will you marry me? The atmosphere had suddenly become thick with anticipation. Would she say yes or no?“If I put this ring on,” Becky said, “I will never take it off.” I waited...for what seemed like forever. Then she slid the ring on her finger.Becky and I

Dr. Max High, ThDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02990481372040062375noreply@blogger.com0