5 Things I’ve Learned From David Green

Rob Hoskins
2 Apr 2019
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david green

There are things you only learn through association with others. I’ve been blessed to be surrounded by incredible people who are constantly teaching me things I’d never get to experience otherwise. One of these people is David Green, founder and CEO of Hobby Lobby. My connection with David began in 1997. I was meeting with leaders in the Philippines about the possibility of distributing the Book of Hope in schools. At the end of the meeting, we were miraculously granted permission to give all six million high schoolers in the Philippines a Book of Hope! I eagerly promised that we […]

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Bringing Clarity to 21st Century Missions

Rob Hoskins
15 Mar 2019
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“When everything is mission, nothing is mission.” This Stephen Neill quote elicited a positive wave of wows, yesses, and amens from a ballroom full of ministry partners as I delivered our State of the Ministry address. It resonated with the room full of partners, pastors, missionaries, staff and friends because we can all see that each generation, denomination, and region the Church is operating under a different definition of missions. We’re passionately working to try and serve all the people and meet all the needs. The truth is, while we can do anything, we can’t do everything. Jesus made it […]

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All the Good News

Rob Hoskins
4 Feb 2019
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good news

Reflecting on the close of 2018, this C. S. Lewis quote comes to mind: “There are far better things ahead, than anything we leave behind.” If you watch the news, follow social media or plug into the Twitter-sphere you would think everything in our world was going to hell; that  bad news is everywhere. Even the Christian news cycle seems to be loaded down with doom and despair. Indeed, 2018 has had a fair share of heartbreak and devastation.  However, no matter how grim the headlines, what we need to remember is that Christ has come in power and victory, […]

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A Christmas Post: Mary’s Message

Rob Hoskins
19 Dec 2018
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I love thinking about the Christmas story from Mary’s vantage point. Everyone remembers being a teenager… you’re figuring out your gifts and beginning to envision the future. Imagine teenage Mary and her prospects for the future as a poor, obscure Jew. Suddenly, she is visited by an angel and endowed with a mandate like no other in history! “In the Sixth Month God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee, to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David, and the virgin’s name was Mary. The angel went to her […]

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10 Biblical Truths Gen Z Needs Right Now

Rob Hoskins
5 Nov 2018
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gen z

It is sad to hear that we have lost a great hero of the faith in Eugene Peterson. [The beloved Presbyterian minister authored more than 30 books and devotionals, including “The Message,” a paraphrase of the Bible that sold more than 16 million copies worldwide.] We will miss him for now, but will still look to the words he left behind. As the next generation attempts to navigate a loud, chaotic, and increasingly post-truth world, where culture is both pervasive and persuasive, we’d do well to point them in the direction of timeless truth for wise counsel from a respected […]

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The Changing Face of Education in the US and How It’s Impacting the Faith of Children

Rob Hoskins
10 Oct 2018
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“Our kids learn within a system of education devised for a world that increasingly does not exist.”[1] Technology has permeated the education system with American public schools providing at least one computer for every five students and $3+ billion per year for digital content. [2] One computer to five kids Tablets and smart boards don’t magically make pupils smarter unless teachers know how to use the devices properly and in a way that fosters engagement and encourages learning.[3] The old way consisted of “learn” then “do.” However, with ubiquitous access to information and 24/7 connectivity, learning and doing have become […]

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Praying with My Eyes Open

Rob Hoskins
26 Sep 2018
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praying

I started 2018 with fasting and prayer. During an early prayer time, I felt God calling me to intercede like never before for my community. He asked me to grant these people, with whom I share proximity, a higher level of priority. I struggled with how to pray for my neighbors and their needs beyond a general covering thinking, “There’s gotta be an app for that.” An app for praying Not finding a “pray for your neighbors” app, I downloaded the Nextdoor app and began praying through daily posts. As I read each post, I brought my neighbors’ names and […]

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Grandparents Taking on The Role of Parents

Rob Hoskins
10 Aug 2018
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You know when you get a new car, all of a sudden you start to see the same make and model everywhere? Well, that is happening to me with all things grandparent as I look forward to becoming a granddad this summer. A segment from the NBC news special, “One Nation Overdosed” caught my attention as it focused on grandparents faced with the reality of raising their grandchildren. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, in 2012, there were 2.7 million grandparents who had the primary responsibility to care for their grandchildren who lived with them. The number of grandparent-headed households […]

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grandparents

Rewrite the Ending

Rob Hoskins
3 Jul 2018
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ending

Lost too soon This month was painful as we mourn the loss of two exceptionally creative artisans in Kate Spade and Anthony Bourdain. The public is honoring Kate Spade by posting remembrances of their first Kate Spade purse. Personally, Kate Spade is the first designer outfit and bag I bought for my girls as they stepped into adulthood. As a foodie, Bourdain was one of my all-time favorites. I identified so closely with him in his love of culture and the foods that define them and fuse us together as humans. I’ve always said that if ministry weren’t my calling, […]

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The “Black Panther” Quote No One Is Talking About

Rob Hoskins
1 Jun 2018
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The blockbuster Marvel superhero movie “Black Panther” is breaking all kinds of records. Rife with deeply thoughtful writing and powerfully inspiring quotes, my favorite record-breaker is that “Black Panther” is now the most Tweeted about movie of all-time[1]. There are many popular quotes covering a range of topics:   Unity “In times of crisis, the wise build bridges, while the foolish build barriers. We must find a way to look after one another as if we were one single tribe.”   Wisdom “You are a good man, with a good heart. And it’s hard for a good man to be […]

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