Wednesday is for Prayer “You are probably going to heaven and I’m probably going to hell.” The elderly man, Bill 87, was speaking to an elderly woman, Ruth 94, in hospital room 335 at Mercy Hospital. It was Monday, and I was at the hospital with my mother (room 332) as the family was preparing … More What Do You Do When Your Neighbor Says He is Probably Going to Hell?
Moses speaks of his old age longing “Let your works be shown to your servants, and your glorious power to their children.” Psalm 90:16 If you are Moses, you’ve lived your life, made your mistakes, paid your prices, celebrated your wins, mourned your losses and now you know that the sand in the top of … More Musings on the Glories of Church Planting
Weekend Meditations on the Gospel Jesus put it this way, “For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? And if you greet only your brothers, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same? [1] … More Monday Afternoon and the Gospel
Third day on Bill Fay’s 5 questions. We might title this one: Are Bill Fay’s 5 Questions Relevant in North America? (Part 3) On Thursday, my friend Matt Stephens suggested that Bill Fay’s five questions may not be effective in cultures that have no Judeo-Christian heritage. Here’s the paragraph. Matt is a young thinker that … More Irrelevant and Insensitive Evangelism Efforts?
(Bill Fay: Part 2) This post continues yesterday’s discussion about Bill Fay’s 5 questions. Short story: Yesterday afternoon, I went down the street to a neighbor I have been seeking to influence for Christ. A tree in my backyard had broken off in a wind storm and I wanted to borrow a ladder so that … More Can Five Questions Change Your Next Conversation with Your Neighbor?
As promised, Bill Fay’s five questions: Bill Fay wrote a remarkable book some years ago titled, Share Jesus Without Fear. In it, he shares his testimony and the way that he goes about moving conversation to the gospel. We always want balance between sensitivity, warmth, and compassion on the one hand and bold, authoritative, clarity … More Train Everyone to Proclaim the Gospel (Fay: Part 1)
Ideas for recruiting for a church plant: or as my friend Frank Abt phrased it —“How do you go about recruiting for a church plant?” For an intro to this post see yesterday’s post. 1. If you are going to try to start a church by gathering Christians to help you: Pray that God … More Recruiting Tips for Church Planters
Update: The year was 2010 and I was teaching a Church Planting class at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School when a bright student asked a very good question. This post was a result of that encounter. I was asked a great question by a future church planter today. “How do you go about recruiting for a … More Growing a Church that Does More than Cook Fish
A few years ago: Back from 8 hours with the Vernon Hills Police Department doing a ride-a-long as a part of their Citizen Police Academy class. It was a good experience. My officer was pleasant and helpful. She took the time to tell me what was going on and didn’t grow noticeable tired with all … More Solicitation, Drug Bust, Teenage Driver accosts Tree: All in a Day’s Work
More for Wednesday Thoughts and Prayers With the great advance of the gospel in the rest of the world through house churches, why is it that the American Church seems to be so slow to pick up on the trend? It is hard to find a more pragmatic people than citizens of the USA, so … More Why Does America Seem to Have a House Church Aversion?
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