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Keep a Good Online Reputation

Rob — Fri, 24 Jun 2011 21:45:15 +0000

The Church Mag site has a fantastic little article entitled “10 Easy Steps to Ruin Your Online Reputation.” Sometimes I can’t believe what people share on Facebook or Twitter. They just don’t realize how they’re shaping people’s opinions of themselves by what they are sharing. I hope this article helps people understand this a little bit better.

This post Keep a Good Online Reputation originated at robwestbrook.com. See more like this at robwestbrook.com - adventures of a mississippi church planter.

A Path from Here to There

Rob — Sat, 05 Feb 2011 21:00:41 +0000

This came across my Twitter feed:

If you know where you want to be ten years from now, you need to find & take the path that will get you there. (via @Gospelgifs)

As a pastor, I want to know where God wants me in ten years. I want to walk that path. But the present is sometimes the enemy of the future. I’m guilty of getting so busy in the present that I don’t have time to look for the path to the future.

Time seeking God’s direction for the future is not wasted.

How do you make time for finding God’s direction for the future? How have you found your path?

This post A Path from Here to There originated at robwestbrook.com. See more like this at robwestbrook.com - adventures of a mississippi church planter.

The crepe myrtles are in full bloom along our driveway.

Rob — Fri, 16 Jul 2010 22:02:16 +0000

Rob Westbrook
Church Planter and Pastor
LifePointe Church, Amory, Mississippi
www.robwestbrook.com
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/RobWestbrook
Sent from my iPhone

Posted via email from RobWestbrook.com

This post The crepe myrtles are in full bloom along our driveway. originated at robwestbrook.com. See more like this at robwestbrook.com - adventures of a mississippi church planter.

Weekend to Remember

Rob — Sat, 26 Jun 2010 19:39:47 +0000

Last weekend, I had someone preach the Sunday message at LifePointe Church for me. Meanwhile I was off on an adventure, spending 72 hours with a bunch of other guys holed up away from civilization and technology. We were all participating in The Walk to Emmaus.

My Walk to Emmaus was one of my most meaningful times with Jesus in many years, maybe ever. I can say that I truly had a weekend with my Lord. I was able to connect with Jesus is such a warm, personal way. I laughed, I cried, I prayed, and I just rested with Him. The experience was one I will never forget. And, as I write this, my wife is on a walk of her own. I can’t wait to her of her experience.

I had heard some negative comments about The Walk to Emmaus prior to my own participation. Let me tell you all concerns and negativity are completely unfounded. God is using this event and community to transform lives all over the world. I’m one of them.

If you ever have an invitation or opportunity to attend The Walk to Emmaus, do whatever you can to get there. You’ll thank the Lord for it.

This post Weekend to Remember originated at robwestbrook.com. See more like this at robwestbrook.com - adventures of a mississippi church planter.

Good Week with More to Come

Rob — Thu, 17 Jun 2010 17:59:22 +0000

I’ve had a hectic but very, very good week so far. The Pointe is our student ministry at LifePointe Church. This week our youth leadership put together a Summer Camp for The Pointe. We’ve been at Camp Armstrong, a very nice camp in the Union Co., Mississippi hills. God has awesomely moved at the camp. For myself, I’ve worshipped the King like I haven’t in some time. We had great speakers: Troy Comer ( @TroyComer56 ), from the ICC BSU and Northstar Church, in Tupelo, MS, , Shane Crawford, pastor of Cason Baptist Church, and Scott Carter, an old friend, former director of the NE MS FCA, and man of God. These men did wonderful jobs. If you’re looking for godly men to speak to your youth, or for that matter, church, I highly recommend any of these three.

Our worship music was in.cred.i.ble! The band was FilledXStream. Probably some of the strong worship music, passion, and leading from any band I’ve seen. They are mega-good, Spirit-filled, and passionate for Jesus. LifePointe has not seen the last of FilledXStream.

We had at least three decisions to follow Jesus as Lord this week. And I’m positive there were, and will be, more coming from this camp. Our kids are on fire.

Now, I’m getting ready to go off the grid. I’m participating in an Emmaus Walk, starting tonight. I don’t really know what to expect, but I can’t wait to get started. I’ve got friends who’ve been and are sponsoring me this weekend. No cell phones, no clocks! What can be better than that!

So, I’m off Twitter, Facebook, the blog, and technology completely until Monday morning. Have a good weekend!

This post Good Week with More to Come originated at robwestbrook.com. See more like this at robwestbrook.com - adventures of a mississippi church planter.

Thankful for Words

Rob — Wed, 19 May 2010 10:30:18 +0000

Sunday, as people were leaving after the service at LifePointe, I had a conversation with someone. There was a sentence this person spoke to me. I’m sure they don’t even remember it. It was just one sentence out of many we both spoke during the conversation. But that one sentence from them froze me.

In that one, seemly innocuous sentence this person spoke the Word of the Lord to me. Seriously.

I can’t explain it to you. I can’t even exactly tell you how I know, but I do. A prayer was answered right there in that one sentence, and God encouraged me. He put the next step in place, all from one sentence by a person tuned in to Him.

Kind words are like honey—
sweet to the soul and healthy for the body.
Proverbs 16:24, NLT

This post Thankful for Words originated at robwestbrook.com. See more like this at robwestbrook.com - adventures of a mississippi church planter.

Spring Flees Quickly

Rob — Thu, 29 Apr 2010 22:11:56 +0000

It looks like we’re going to have another typical Mississippi spring. And you know the typical Mississippi spring don’t you? Yeah, it lasts about one week, then summer hits and last for six months! The spring flowers pop up one day and then, it seems, they’re gone, just as fast as they appeared.

As we get older, the years seem to last about as long as the Mississippi spring. One year pops up and it seems it’s gone just as fast. Before we know it, those years have escaped us and we wonder where they’ve gone. Makes up really consider what the Bible tells us in James:

How do you know what your life will be like tomorrow? Your life is like the morning fog—it’s here a little while, then it’s gone. (James 4:14, NLT).

Life goes by fast. What are you doing with yours?

This post Spring Flees Quickly originated at robwestbrook.com. See more like this at robwestbrook.com - adventures of a mississippi church planter.

Approximately 1980 Years ago . . .

Rob — Fri, 02 Apr 2010 18:56:27 +0000

Approximately 1980 years ago, at this hour, the sky was inky black over the middle eastern city of Jerusalem. Even though it was afternoon, the day was dark. On a knob of a hill just outside the city, three men were hanging on crosses, the tool of execution for nobodies. They appeared as dark gray shadows suspended in the blackness of that unusual day. There were soft sobs of women, by now too tired to wail after their six hours there. The quiet whispers of those questioning the darkness of the day were barely audible.

Suddenly a voice shouted from the center cross, boldly and vehemently cracking across the hill, with a sharp rapport that split veils, opened graves, and shook all creation.

“IT IS FINISHED!”

This post Approximately 1980 Years ago . . . originated at robwestbrook.com. See more like this at robwestbrook.com - adventures of a mississippi church planter.

Rob: On the Web Since 1996

Rob — Tue, 30 Mar 2010 10:00:50 +0000

The web is a wonderful thing. Sometimes you stumble across information or sites that really take you back. Back to 1996, to be exact.

I’ve had some type of presence on the web for a (very) long time. In the late 1990s and early 2000s I made a pretty good supplemental income on the web with a site called robslinks.com, or, officially, Rob’s Christian Links and Search Engine. (That’s a screen shot from 2001 in the image there)

A few years ago I used the Wayback Machine to see if anything was archived of my old site. The site was there. I bookmarked it and forgot about it until this week, when I was cleaning up my bookmarks.

Many of the “state of the art” graphics are missing but it’s still a good semblance of the way the site looked in 2001. Digging around the site, I found a graphic of my very first website, which you see below.

Rob's First Website from 1996

Bleeding edge, right?

You can look at the 2001 version by clicking here. Many of the links still work. Take a look. Maybe some of you remember the old robslinks.com. Let me know if you do.

Oh, and I found out the robslinks.com domain is for sale: $4,995!

This post Rob: On the Web Since 1996 originated at robwestbrook.com. See more like this at robwestbrook.com - adventures of a mississippi church planter.

Strong Weakness

Rob — Sat, 20 Feb 2010 22:49:56 +0000

It’s been one of THOSE weeks, a week where nothing seems to go as planned. Add to that a few big interruptions (my wife’s wrecked car and ensuing insurance wrangling) and everything just seems to fall apart.

Weeks like this remind me I really don’t have a whole lot of control over the circumstances of life. The storms will always be building just over the horizon, just out of sight. I’m aware they’re coming but when they appear I’m always caught off-guard. The knees buckle. The questions form, “Why? Where are you?”

Each time he said, “My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.” So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ can work through me. That’s why I take pleasure in my weaknesses, and in the insults, hardships, persecutions, and troubles that I suffer for Christ. For when I am weak, then I am strong. (2 Corinthians 12:9 -10, NLT)

So I boast. Yes, I am weak. But, with grace, it’s a strong weakness.

This post Strong Weakness originated at robwestbrook.com. See more like this at robwestbrook.com - adventures of a mississippi church planter.