Archives For Evan Forester

The First #LiveFully eBook!

Evan Forester —  September 17, 2012

Over the last couple weeks, we’ve slowly rolled out our new eBook. We sent it, free, to all of our subscribers first. Then we mentioned it briefly in a post and added a square about it on the right sidebar. Now, it is time to announce it with a megaphone! (imagine an echo effect here)

Here are 10 great reasons why you should get your hands on a copy of it:

1) It is short and meant to be read in one sitting. Later, you can impress your friends and family by telling them you read an entire book in one day.

2) While it may be short, it targets a central and core theological issue. It’s short, but it’s deep. Continue Reading…

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Does God Actually Owe You Anything?

Evan Forester —  September 14, 2012

As people, we often believe God owes us something. We go to church, do a couple of good deeds, and then expect God to return the favor.

In high school, I had a friend who was convinced he won poker because he “went to church.” Another friend of mine once explained that because of his faithfulness to God and purity, he would land a really awesome wife. Every time I am running late to something spiritual (like a discipleship group I’m leading) and a catch a red light, I get annoyed with God. “Come on! I’m trying to be spiritual here. Throw me some help.”

I recently read a parable (Luke 17:7-10 if you’re interested) that discussed how we think God owes us something for our “service” to Him. Essentially, Jesus calls it foolish when we think God is indebted to us. And there are good reasons for this. Continue Reading…

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5 Helpful Tips for a Better Prayer Life

Evan Forester —  September 3, 2012

Our move to New Zealand has taught me many lessons on a deeper level. For instance, I used to think I knew what it meant to trust God, but now I actually have to trust Him. Recently, God has been showing me the incredible importance and power of prayer.

We have now been here for about 8 weeks. In that time, we have both found jobs, bought a car, been welcomed into incredible community, moved into a house, turned it into a home, and were even given a free second vehicle. I’m not saying this to brag about ourselves, but to point out the incredible faithfulness of God. Because really, all that should have been impossible in so short a time. Continue Reading…

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What Makes a Christian Leader?

Evan Forester —  August 24, 2012

Our world today needs good Christian leaders.

But what makes a good Christian Leader? Is he or she assertive? Humble? Meek? Strong willed? Well studied? Aggressive? Forgiving? Just nice? Good singer? Good speaker?

It seems like everyone has their own definition. But I think most agree that the best guide for good Christian leadership is the Bible.

Yet for some reason, we rarely look to the Bible. We read books and look to movies and fail to go to the Lord for His definition of leadership. But maybe that’s because we don’t like it… Continue Reading…

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5 Keys to Redemptive Work in a Secular World

Evan Forester —  August 22, 2012

We share a lot of stories about people living in mainstream culture today who make an impact for God’s Kingdom. We love those modern stories, and they are important, but we must not forget the richness that stories from the past, especially Scripture, can hold for us today.

I recently read the book of Esther and was amazed by how much I enjoyed it. From a literature standpoint, Esther is incredible. It has a massive scale, is rich with irony, features a crazy evil villain, and the good guys win despite incredible odds. If you’ve never read the book, you need to. Here are five lessons from Esther that are relevant for all of us living today: Continue Reading…

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Why I Love Family Movie Night

Evan Forester —  August 9, 2012

*All this week we’re sharing #LiveFully thoughts and stories from writers around the web. Today we here from Joe Poe, a production intern living in Austin, TX and working for Global Short Film Network (a ministry of Cru). You can check out his blog or twitter if you want to connect with this movie buff. 

It’s a Saturday evening and my whole family is sitting around the TV watching a movie dad rented. Each of us sits in our own designated seats that have been assigned to us over the years through repetition. In our hands lie plates full of those scrumptious treats that clog our arteries on the way down to our stomachs: pizza rolls, Bagel Bites, chicken wings, buttery popcorn (with a double dose of butter of course).

Great film quotes

On this typical night, the movie playing may or may not be one any of us has even heard of. Dad has an uncanny ability to pick the most random movies out there. Trust me; I have seen my fair share of B-movies over the years. Continue Reading…

In #culture
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Step Away From the Roller Coaster…

Evan Forester —  August 8, 2012

All this week we’re sharing #LiveFully thoughts and stories from writers around the web. Today we hear from Steve Goble, a certified Coach, Teacher, & Speaker with the John Maxwell Team. He partners with you to find solutions to problems, accomplish your goals, and achieve your dreams. Find him: Email | LinkedIn | Twitter | Facebook.

Think about a roller coaster. You have ups and downs, twists and turns. Sometimes roller coasters go from 0-60 almost instantly and other times there is a slow climb before the initial speed picks up. Then, without warning, the roller coaster might come to a grinding halt.

Imagine yourself in the line for the roller coaster. Think about your feelings in that moment. You want to get on the ride, but you’re afraid. You experience fear and trepidation about what the coaster may be like. During the ride, you might scream from joy or fear. You might hang on so tightly to the safety bar that you begin to pray for your safety! Continue Reading…

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Is it Better to be a Merchant or a Monk?

Evan Forester —  August 7, 2012

*All this week we’re hearing stories and thoughts on #LiveFully from others around the web. Our post today comes from Joshua Wold, a web designer and writer you can find at JoshuaWold.com. He loves Jesus, loves his wife, and is an all around cool dude. Check out his blog and twitter! If you’re here visiting from Joshua’s blog, WELCOME!

It was February of 2010. My wife and I had just returned from teaching an evangelistic seminar in rural India. We went with Share Him, an organization that teaches lay people how to share the gospel.

The seminar went extremely well, but I had a problem. For months I had been struggling with a decision. Should I continue working in the marketplace, or go into full-time mission work? On the one hand I was part of a web development company with a lot of potential for growth.  On the other hand I felt a desire to preach and share Christ with others.

Continue Reading…

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The Village By the Sea

Evan Forester —  August 6, 2012

*All this week we’re sharing #LiveFully thoughts and stories from writers around the web. Today’s post comes from Becky Smith, an excellent blogger over at Smithellaneous, where the glass is perpetually (almost) always (usually) at least half full. She has some incredible wisdom, she survived cancer, and she lives fully. We’re excited for her to share with us today, and don’t forget to check out her blog! If you’re visiting here from Becky’s blog, WELCOME!

I admit it.

Sometimes I feel just a wee bit jealous of people I follow on Facebook. They live such impressively full lives.  They fly to conferences in Vegas, they attend concerts at the Ryman, they go on vacation to Ireland.

They host parties that are peopled with an eclectic, elegant blend of writers and artists, movers and shakers.  They hob nob with people who are accomplished in their field and it appears that even their children and their pets live breathless lives of unadulterated fascinations. Continue Reading…

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Why We Miss Out on the Fruit of the Spirit

Evan Forester —  July 30, 2012

The fruit of the Spirit is very appealing. Seriously though, who wouldn’t want to demonstrate these qualities?

“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.” – Galatians 5:22-23

They all sound wonderful. The world is obsessed with love, joy is always a great thing to have, and the call for peace has won beauty pageants for decades. The list could go on, but how do we experience that elusive fruit? Continue Reading…

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