Have you ever noticed that the gap between people who actually know how to ice skate and those who don’t is enormous? I took this picture while getting in some family time at Ober Gatlinburg recently: Just because you lace up and get out there doesn’t mean you know what you’re doing. The skilled ones glide [...]
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A queen bee is special. No queen, no colony. She’s royalty. But apparently, in terms of DNA, every bee in the colony is identical. They all start out the same: jobless, genderless, larvae. And when the time comes for a new queen a larva is chosen (again, no different than the ones around it). This [...]
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Sunday I’ll start a new teaching series at the Maryville Vineyard. It’s called The Deliverers. In 8 weeks we’ll look at 5 of the 12 jacked up heroes whom God chose to make Judges. Ehud Deborah Gideon Jephthah Samson Here are a few of the reasons I’m so excited about it (in no particular order) [...]
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We’re always kicking ideas around at the Maryville Vineyard. At the moment, we’re working on how to create more and better digital giving options. We have online giving available via PayPal. People are using it more and more, which is cool. Some folks give from their paychecks with an automatic withdrawal that comes to us [...]
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The baptism in the Holy Spirit is certainly one of the most polarizing issues in Christianity (I feel dirty calling it an ‘issue’). There’s tons of confusion, a fair amount of accusation, and not nearly enough open and thoughtful dialogue. As with any polarizing ‘issue’ people tend to run to one side or another…and then [...]
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We do a lot of brainstorming where I work. Occasionally an idea will be shot down because it won’t be applicable or helpful to the bulk of people. Something like this will be said, “That will only appeal to the fringe.” Good point. We’ve got limited resources and we want to impact as many people as [...]
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Occasionally I just ‘go’ to the Maryville Vineyard. Most weeks I’m ‘the preacher guy’. When I’m not ‘the preacher guy’ it’s generally because I’m out of town. But this week, I just showed up and worshiped. Here’s what stood out: People were engaged. I typically sit on the front row, eyes forward. I’m always a bit [...]
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Aaron McCarter is the Lead Pastor of Maryville Vineyard Church in East TN.