We all have had them in our lives, those very hard, difficult Jobs. Not jobs, like where we work, but Jobs, like in the Bible. Those people for whom life seems to be falling apart and, although we would like to, we really don’t know how to help them. What do I say? Should I ..read more

https://youtu.be/YKlh_2VMkuE?si=YQVgOqIdcrJkV0PX “I am blessed and highly favored.” “Well, bless your heart.” “God bless you.” We use those phrases all of the time but what do we mean by them? We see being blessed as being lucky, having good stuff, not having any problems. In the Beatitudes (blessings) Jesus talks to people in the worst of ..read more

https://youtu.be/5R7h2TPUjec?feature=shared We all desire to leave a legacy, to make a mark on family and friends that will impact them for good long after we are gone. Sometimes, the pain of the legacy we inherited is so great we cannot imagine changing our legacy for the better. But we can. We can leave the legacy of our past behind and start a new one. Here are 7 steps. 1. Start today. 2. Accept personal responsibility. 3. Choose to forgive. 4. Accept the present. 5. Reframe your story, 6. Believe that life can change. 7. Make some concrete plans today to change. Paul says, “Forgetting thos ..read more

  There is a “sermon illustration” that is told that in the prisons when the prisoners are offered Mother’s Day cards to send to their mothers, the response is overwhelming. Thousands upon thousands of cards are provided and sent each year, But, so the story goes, when the same offer is made on Father’s Day, hardly any cards are requested or sent. Now if that’s true (and not all sermon illustrations are ) the reason may not be as straightforward as it seems.   Of course, there is the phenomenon of the American father wound. We are nearly eight generations in now, to the absentee fath ..read more

https://youtu.be/ARb-KFaRg1Y Click the video link above Memories are a wonderful gift from God, but if we allow them to, they can defeat and destroy us. Studies show that we actually only remember about 15-20% of the things that we think we do. And those memories are not 100% accurate. Here are some important keys to living with our memories. Our memories do not determine who we are. We are not defined by our memories. The most used tool of the enemy of our souls is shame. Revelation 12 says, “He is the accuser and he accuses us day and night.” And what does he use to accuse us, to shame us ..read more

We all have a little Clark Griswald in us. We create these over-the-top, larger than life expectations of an event, a season, or a relationship. And more often than not things just don’t happen the way we imagine. Here are some fantastic ideas about how to manage expectations, well, at least some pretty good ones. Follow me at branchesblog.com for full notes. Or follow on Facebook or Instagram, ​⁠, for a daily sentence of encouragement. https://youtu.be/1MSJVWYkTBU?feature=shared ..read more

In a fallen world, relationships fall. How we talk about them has much to do with how they survive. Here are 5 Rules of Relationships that help me stay positive about those connections in my life. Click on the link to watch the video. And follow on Facebook or Instagram for a daily reminder about this topic. https://youtu.be/m9_HfT-bbUQ?feature=shared Gravity and a fallen world means relationships spiral downward rather than upward unless we intentionally focus on moving them the other way. It is human nature to: Make comparisons. Be critical. And refute character. Hebrews 12:14 “Follo ..read more

https://youtu.be/e4d40ytW8g4?feature=shared “There is a time for all things. Everything has a season.” The writer of the Wisdom Book was talking about more than summer and fall. Perhaps one of the most important adjustments in life is the recognition that we are constantly transitioning from one season to the next. Here are some thoughts about that and some steps to make it easier. For a transcript go to www.branchesblog.com and each day follow @cmichaelcourtney on Facebook or Instagram for a follow-up thought. Five Thoughts About Seasons: Seasons are inevitable. Genesis 8:22 Seasons are inte ..read more

Have you ever been surprised, shocked or sandbagged by some negative thought, some moment of discouragement, depression, or fear that just nearly overwhelmed you? Maybe it was anxiety, maybe obsessive thoughts about hurt, maybe shame; those thoughts that the devil will use to defeat us. They come like a thief, to steal, kill, and destroy. Here are some steps to take when you are under attack. Click the link to watch the video. https://youtu.be/16MhWCvjocM?feature=shared Three Observations: 1. Don’t be surprised when negative thoughts come. 2. Thinking creates feelings. It doesn’t change the tr ..read more

  https://youtu.be/8bhDR60WsuA?feature=shared Mountaintop experiences are great. We need them every once in an awhile to regroup, refresh, and revive. But we are called to live there. God does His best work in us and with us while we are in the valley. Look at 1 Kings 18:16-46 When I focus in the emotional high I place performance over people. When I focus in the emotional high I make me the messiah. When I focus in the emotional high I think bigger is better. When I focus in the emotional high I replace righteousness with running. Moses. On the mountaintop he missed his purpose. Peter. O ..read more