RECENTLY FROM RUSTY GEORGE
I Wish _____ Would Come to Church…
Who is that for you? A friend? A family member? We all have someone, but let me ask you this... Why is it you find it really easy to talk with strangers about the Netflix show you binged, but you can’t talk to close friends about the church that has changed your...
I Wish _____ Would Come to Church…
Who is that for you? A friend? A family member? We all have someone, but let me ask you this... Why is it you find it really easy to talk with strangers about the Netflix show you binged, but you can’t talk to close friends about the church that has changed your...
Coming to a Campus Near You… At the Movies 2021
One of our most popular annual series at Real Life Church is kicking off on Father’s Day weekend: At the Movies 2021! For the past few years we’ve taken a few weeks to use popular movies to serve as our illustrations to Biblical teachings. Just like Jesus used...
10 Books to Read This Summer
Whether on the beach, by the pool, or on a plane, don’t miss the chance to feed your mind a bit this summer with a good book. Here are 10 books that I highly recommend: 10 BOOKS TO READ THIS SUMMER 1 • Winning the War in Your Mind by Craig Groeschell. This is a...
How to Look Like Jesus (besides wearing sandals)
It’s almost summer! In light of us all busting out the flip flops and Birkenstock’s, let’s talk about how we can look like Jesus this summer (whether we are in his footwear or not). I recently came across this blog post by one of my favorite speakers and authors,...
Episode 148: The Real Reason God May Not Be Answering Your Prayers
Leading Simple with Rusty George · 148: The Real Reason God May Not Be Answering Your Prayers We've all faced unanswered prayers... Is God ignoring us? Does he not care? Did we pray the prayer wrong? Is it because we sinned too much? The Bible has a lot to say...
Finding Help for Your Marriage When You Think THEY’RE the Crazy One
Crazy might be a bit of an exaggeration, but you know what I mean... If you’ve ever had these thoughts about your spouse, I'm talking to you: “Why can’t you just think like me?” “Just do it the way I’d do it...” “I’ll tell you my opinion if you want to know the...
3 Things All Pastors Need to Consider Before Regathering
If you are a church leader, odds are you have either moved back into your facility and started regathering in person, or you are about to. And with vaccines on the rise and restrictions being lifted, many churches (even in California) have started to regather...
What Really Happens to Us When We Die?
Over the past 12 months, our world has faced the reality of death in a whole new way. The possibility of an unseen, unknown virus robbing us of our life only added to our already present fears of murder, cancer, and car accidents... And because of this, many of us...
What Every Pastor Wants from Their Congregation Post-Covid
I know, I know… That sounds a little self-serving. But hang with me here. If you are not careful, you’ll view the church like you view your local coffee shop. You used to go every day, then during Covid, you just started making coffee at home. Sure, you missed...
The Demonic Side of Covid that You Might Have Missed…
Over the last 12 months we’ve all worried about the dark side of a lot of things: … Is Covid an evil plague? … Will the vaccine give me the mark of the beast? … Could the election be unleashing the anti-Christ? … Is the government trying to silence and cancel...
5 Ways to Make Easter an Everyday Event
All the excitement towards Easter is done for the year. Can you believe it? The egg hunts are over, the big worship celebrations at church are finished, and the festive Sunday dinner has been reduced to leftovers in Gladware. All of the joy focused on new life,...
10 Things Pastors Hear in the Church Lobby
We all like to know the hidden side of everything, to hear someone “spill the tea”... Well, it's time to spill some tea. I’m going to let you in on the top 10 conversations pastors hear in the church lobby. My reason for doing this? It's to help you know you...
Bonus: Listen to this Before You Fill Out Your March Madness Brackets!!! ESPN Analyst Jimmy Dykes
Leading Simple with Rusty George · Bonus: Listen to this Before You Fill Out Your March Madness Brackets!!! ESPN Analyst Jimmy Dykes ESPN College Basketball Analyst Jimmy Dykes joins podcast host Michael Hinton and myself to discuss filling out our NCAA March...
What Living 30 Years With a Disease Has Taught Me
On the blog and podcast I try to make life a bit more simple for all of us who are overwhelmed. So, is it possible to make living with a disease “simple”? Maybe not, but after 30 years of living with one, I’ve learned a few things that have helped at least...
Change Your Life in 28 Days
SIGN UP FOR 28-DAYS TO EASTER TODAY Have you ever said these phrases? "I’m not where I want to be." "I really need to really work on…" "I don’t know much about…" "One day I will…" "I’d give anything to be like…" We all have. We just assume that one day we’ll...
Hello Charisma!
I am thrilled to have joined the Charisma Magazine team as a blog writer & new contributor to the Charisma Podcast Network. From now on, in addition to seeing my blog posts and podcast episodes here on my site, you'll also spot them over at Charisma! Click here...
Finding Freedom from Loneliness
“Well they’re sharing a drink they call loneliness, but it’s better than drinking alone.” -- Billy Joel, The Piano Man Before COVID-19 hit, 46% of Americans felt lonely at times. That number skyrocketed to 76% in December of 2020. National and international health...
Anxiety… What is it Good For?
... Absolutely nothing, right? For the millions of people wrestling with anxiety right now, that’s our honest answer. Some of us deal with crippling anxiety disorders that keep us locked in a house or in the corners of our minds. Others of us face what is known as...
Leadership Lessons from The Super Bowl
While Super Bowl 55 definitely didn’t work out the way I had hoped, there is still much to learn from it when it comes to making your life more simple and leading with intentionality. Here are some leadership takeaways that yesterdays Super Bowl taught me:...
Facing Your Giants in 2021
We’ve all got a giant we face… and they don’t have a calendar. Even though we turned the calendar, the giant came with us… or maybe it waits for us. It might be an addiction, a heart wound, a broken home, a struggling marriage, a rebellious teen or a tough economy....
The Daily Routines That Have Changed My Life & Faith for the Better
We all have a few daily routines: Wake up. Hit snooze. Get up. Drink Coffee. Shower. (Optional) But is there anything that actually makes your life better on a daily basis? Here are 7 things that I’ve found to be extremely helpful when done at least 5 days a week:...
Episode 130: Prayers I’m Praying for in 2021
Leading Simple with Rusty George · 130: Prayers Im Praying for in 2021 What are those things you are praying for in 2021? Let me share a few things that I am praying for this...
How to Overcome Bitterness & Forgive
No one aspires to be a grumpy old man. Or a bitter old woman. But it still happens. The longer we live, the more wounds we pick up along the way. And like all wounds, if they are left untreated, they can do some serious damage. Bitterness is just like that. We...
Making Sure 2021 Isn’t Worse Than 2020… As If
Let’s go back to January of 2020. You had a few New Year’s resolutions. You were excited about a new year, a new decade. And you had high hopes of a new start. For me, we were planning on big goals at the church, excited about a fun summer, and prepping for our...
7 Things to Read this Christmas
Let’s say you’ve got some free time this Christmas. You’re sheltered at home. You’re stuck at the in-laws. You’re forced to watch football and you don’t care about it. What would be a good book to consume? Here are 7 recommendations. The Third Option: Hope...
7 Great Leaders We Only Think About at Christmas
Christmas comes once a year. And with it, come several great leaders who only get their due one month a year. (Or 6 months a year if you go by Hobby Lobby’s schedule). And while we typically talk about serious issues and leaders, let’s take a moment to have some...
Do You Know Who WASN’T at The First Christmas?
I worked on the title of this blog for awhile. I was hoping for some Christmas click bait, and these were some other options: "All you’ve heard about Christmas is wrong!" "You won’t believe what happened after Jesus was born!" "Mary wore THIS for Jesus'...
Preparing Your Family for Christmas
There are two types of people in this world: People who plan and stress, and people who don't plan and aren’t stressed out. I say from experience, because I’m often a planner who gets stressed out. And the Christmas season only seems to make it worse - I stress...
Why Bother Praying if God Already Knows What I Need?
Now here’s my problem with prayer... And maybe this is yours as well: If it takes so long … If sometimes the answer is "no" … and if in some cases he’s going to do what he wants anyway… Why even bother? Why pray? Haven’t you wondered that before? Isn't that what...
Growing Through vs. Getting Through Times of Grief
It’s been 1 year since shots rang out at Saugus High School, taking the lives of 3 students and injuring 3 more. In some ways it seems like years ago, and in some ways it seems like yesterday. I can still hear the cries of the parents of the victims. I can still...