Years ago, I started using brief snippets of time to challenge people I met with some new thoughts. One of my favorites was to use those brief moments at the counter when I was ordering or paying for the meal at a local restaurant. One day, at a Portillo’s in a Chicago suburb, there were … More “What are You Living For?”
It is a picture of the church. Read Mark 6:17-20 and see the American church in the tragedy that is Herod. Here’s the passage: 17 For Herod himself had sent and had John arrested and bound in prison on account of Herodias, the wife of his brother Philip, because he had married her. 18 For John had been saying … More The Tragedy of Herod
Tuesday is for Thinking It was almost two decades ago. I was attending a local pastors forum. Around the circle were 40 pastors, almost all of whom cared for congregations of between 500 and 1,000 regular worship attenders. Sprinkled in among them were two or three “mega church” pastors. The idea was to learn from … More Your Local Church is Gone. Would Anyone Notice?
In just a few weeks, somewhere between 1,500 and 2,500 people will graduate from various seminaries around the country. They will all be pursuing ministry in church planting, missionaries, teaching pastors, youth pastors, associate pastors, children’s workers and various other ministry assignments. Pray for them. And if you know one, pass this post on to … More Just Graduated Seminary: Six Things to Do That Will Save Your Life (and Ministry).
Took my bride to the movies this afternoon. On tap? Our lives. We went out to see the new “Jesus Revolution” movie. Both of us came to faith in the years covered in the movie’s topic. Well, for me its was about 18 months after the close of the movie. But I remember both issues … More First Take on the New “Jesus Revolution” Movie
Evangelism Four Statements: Evangelism is different from outreach. Outreach is not necessarily evangelism. Outreach can help evangelism but it can never replace evangelism. Evangelism always includes proclamation. The Great Commission of taking the gospel to every people group in the world (Matthew 28:16-20), cannot be accomplished without proclamation. The idea that the gospel can be … More This Shouldn’t be Controversial
The Christian Science Monitor published an article on November 21 on the ’70’s rock icon Buffy Sainte-Marie. (Just an aside, there is nothing scientific or Christian to the religious organization “Christian Science”.) The article titled, “First lady of Indigenous music: Buffy Sainte-Marie on her storied career”. The Cree Indian, with an Academy Award in addition … More A Cree Indian Rock Star and a Lesson on Hope
I had a strange encounter with an older gentleman in a local restaurant last week. Let me give a little context for the scene. The restaurant owner and the cashier were behind the counter. At a table close by (within ear shot) was a family of five. One other person had just come through the … More Christians More Political than Christian
Christmas is a great time to renew our pattern and fervor for prayer. Here’s a link to help do both. Broken by the Need for Prayer
Dateline: July 2005 “First one sheep jumped to its death. Then another and another, and then dozens more. Having left their herds to graze while they ate breakfast, stunned Turkish shepherds now watched as nearly 1,500 others leapt off the same cliff. The first 450 animals died under the billowy pile.” . . . The … More Shepherds Have One Job – Protect the Flock
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