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Finding Peace: Christian Mindfulness and the Holy Spirit (Steve Gilbert – 3/3/23 – NCS New Canaan)

March 8, 2023 by NCS New Canaan Leave a Comment


Steve Gilbert vulnerably shares, from his own experiences as a therapist and a man, about the power of “Christian mindfulness” to help us find peace through an understanding of God’s constant presence through the Holy Spirit.

Gilbert explains that the last three years have been a struggle in his role as a therapist. His struggle has come from watching an increasing number of other people struggle with addiction, depression and relational issues as a result of the pandemic. Steve talks about how this struggle has challenged his faith.

Steve describes the important difference between practicing “mindfulness” and “Christian mindfulness” as a path to lessening anxiety and finding peace. He explains that the practice of “mindfulness” is “just about you” being in the moment, while “Christian mindfulness” includes Jesus and the recognition that the Holy Spirit dwells within us and is with us, always, in the moment.

Gilbert reveals how our prayers are so often misguided in failing to recognize God’s presence with us and in us through the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, and he offers how prayers change when we recognize that reality.

Steve describes the difference between “shame” and “guilt” and the power of “shame” to block our ability to be mindful of Christ’s presence, and he goes on to explain how we can break that blockage.

Steve also reveals and explains the frequent lie of “religion” that we can manufacture personal holiness and overcome the temptations of sin through spiritual “self-help” disciplines, which too often create pharisees and legalism.

Gilbert shares how we can overcome the temptations of sin, be transformed “from inside out”, and find peace through “Christian mindfulness”–understanding that God dwells within us always through the Holy Spirit.

Filed Under: Audio & Video, Uncategorized, Video Tagged With: Addiction, Audio & Video, Chapter Friday, Christianity-Theology, Coronavirus, Covid-19, Crisis and Adversity, Dealing with Emotions, Faith, Fear and Worry, Healing, Isolation-Loneliness-Depression, Nature of God, NCS New Canaan, Nuggets, Prayer, Relationships, Sexual Habits and Addictions, Shame-Guilt, Spiritual Warfare, Substance Abuse and Addictions, Transparency and Authenticity

Let Us Play the Man (Ken Fish – 12/17/21 – NCS New Canaan)

December 17, 2021 by NCS New Canaan Leave a Comment

Ken Fish is not known for mincing words or dumbing down Biblical truth to make it more palatable. He laments that fatherhood is in crisis in our world, and looking to the words of Joab in 2 Samuel 10:12 KJV (“Be of good courage, and let us play the men for our people, and for the cities of our God“), he issues an urgent “call to action” for men to “play the man”–or “man-up”–as fathers. We must do it for the sake of our families, our cities and our nation.

Ken shares that, as he travels the world, the #1 prayer request from women in every nation and every country is for God to bring “a Godly man who will lead my household”. He explains ways in which many men are failing to fill the Biblical role of fathers as “priests” of their family and lays out a straightforward Scriptural path to turn things around and “raise a generation of the righteous”:

  • Be of Good Courage.
  • Play the Man.
  • Give Yourself To Others

Ken asserts that the best way for Satan to destroy a country is to destroy families, and the best way to destroy families is to destroy fathers. He also explains why the restoration of righteous fathers is a necessary condition to revival.

Emphasizing that the key to this simple three-point formula is the execution, Fish walks through various Biblical passages that provide guidance on fatherhood and manhood.

You may support Ken’s ministry at this link: https://orbisministries.org/support-orbis/

Filed Under: Audio & Video, Video Tagged With: Audio & Video, Chapter Friday, Christianity-Theology, Cultural Change and Engagement, Divorce, Faith, Father-Son, Great Commandments - Love God - Love Neighbor, Leadership, Live Pure, Marriage, Mentoring and Discipleship, Nature of God, NCS New Canaan, Prayer, Raising Children, Relationships, Right Wrong, Serving Others, Sexual Habits and Addictions, Shame-Guilt, Speak Truth, Spiritual Warfare

Forgiveness (Richard Warren – 11/13/20 – NCS New Canaan)

November 13, 2020 by NCS New Canaan Leave a Comment

Richard Warren (the “other Rick Warren”) shares with incredible transparency and vulnerability the journey that led him from being a successful businessman who largely ignored God and was unfaithful to his wife to becoming a devout follower of Jesus and re-marrying his wife after they had been divorced for four years.

Not only is Rick’s story one of amazing forgiveness by his wife, but it is also a story of extraordinary obedience on his part. In response to God’s nudges, he very reluctantly returned to his ex-wife to ask her forgiveness (and to ask her to re-marry him) and very reluctantly sought out an old business acquaintance to offer forgiveness. His acts of obedience and those offers of forgiveness opened the doors to miracles.

Through obedience and forgiveness (with a good dose of humility), Rick’s story of brokenness became a story of miraculous hope and healing.

The “other” Rick Warren has written a number of devotionals on the topic of forgiveness. Here are a few links for those interested in exploring this topic further.

Five Things Forgiveness Is Not

Requirements of Restored Relationship

You Don’t Have To Forget

At the 2017 NCS National Retreat, Bruce Wilkinson gave a powerful talk on the topic of forgiveness. Here it is.

Filed Under: Audio & Video, Video Tagged With: Audio & Video, Chapter Friday, Christianity-Theology, Divorce, Faith, Forgiveness, Healing, Marriage, Nature of God, NCS New Canaan, Prayer, Relationships, Right Wrong, Salvation, Sexual Habits and Addictions, Transparency and Authenticity

Restoring Daughters of the King (Michael Distefano – 10/30/20 – NCS New Canaan)

November 3, 2020 by NCS New Canaan Leave a Comment

Michael Distefano shares how God broke his heart for victims of human trafficking and then took him from sitting outside massage parlors in Texas to starting the first anti-slavery after-care facility in Connecticut as the Regional Director of Amirah Inc.

Distefano explains the dark world of human trafficking in the United States and why Connecticut is one of the darkest spots, with human trafficking occurring in every county in the State (in fact, a book about human trafficking in America used Connecticut as its example: The Berlin Turnpike: A True Story of Human Trafficking in America). He also shares how Amirah extracts women from this gut-wrenching reality, provides care in a long-term residential safe home and restores them as “Daughters of the King”–giving hope to survivors of sexual exploitation.

While we may think of human trafficking as something that happens “over there” in some foreign country, Distefano shines a light on the truth, explaining that an estimated 500,000 women are currently victims of trafficking in the United States.

This recording includes extensive Q&A following Michael’s talk.

For more information about Amirah and how to get involved, visit www.amirahinc.org

Filed Under: Audio & Video, Uncategorized, Video Tagged With: Audio & Video, Calling and Purpose, Chapter Friday, Faithful Presence, Great Commandments - Love God - Love Neighbor, Healing, NCS New Canaan, Right Wrong, Serving Others, Sexual Habits and Addictions, Spiritual Warfare

A Call to Virtuous Masculinity (Fr. Louis Leonelli – 11/8/19 – NCS New Canaan)

November 8, 2019 by NCS New Canaan 1 Comment

Father Louis Leonelli starts by sharing a bit of his life story, including his radical and miraculous conversion from a successful Wall Street businessman pursuing wealth, woman and a music career to a humble Franciscan friar serving the homeless in the South Bronx.

Father Louis then examines “masculinity”–real “toxic” masculinity, the normal masculinity that our politically correct culture has deceptively labeled “toxic”, and finally, the “virtuous” masculinity we are called to pursue as followers of Jesus. In exploring virtuous masculinity, he explains and stresses the virtues of temperance, sacrifice and humility. Father Louis ends by sharing what he believes to be the three most important priorities in the pursuit of virtuous masculinity: (1) develop and nurture a relationship with God, (2) develop and nurture relationships with the small circle of people whom we love and who love us and (3) in whatever our stations or callings in life, strive to be the very best version of ourself we can be, all to the glory of God.

Filed Under: Audio & Video, Video Tagged With: Audio & Video, Calling and Purpose, Christianity-Theology, Cultural Change and Engagement, Faith, Faithful Presence, Father-Son, Forgiveness, Friendship, Gods Purpose for Business, Going from Survival-Success to Significance, Gratitude, Live Pure, Marriage, Nature of God, NCS New Canaan, Prayer, Relationships, Right Wrong, Serving Others, Sexual Habits and Addictions, Speak Truth, Worship the King

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Recent Posts

  • Against All Odds: Casting Your Nets (Eric Torres – 3/17/23 – NCS New Canaan)
  • Finding Peace: Christian Mindfulness and the Holy Spirit (Steve Gilbert – 3/3/23 – NCS New Canaan)
  • Going from Mess to Mission (Nick Agneto – 2/17/23 – NCS New Canaan)
  • A Tale of Tragedy, Triumph and Changed Lives (Tom Mallon – 1/20/23 – NCS New Canaan)

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