Tom Short, a campus evangelist with Campus America, has written a short but helpful book on the topic of what is happening in too many Christian homes, or rather, in the lives of children now in their 20’s and 30’s. One of the things that is most helpful is Tom’s ability to bring clarity to … More Reasons Millennials are Leaving the Church
Saturday Afternoon Musing This may not be new to you, but it was to me. I have been meditating on Mark 4:1-20 and Jesus’ parable of the four soils. Sometimes hearing is better than reading (silently). Over the last few days, I have gone outside (into the heat) and read it out loud two or … More New Insights to a Familiar Parable
Fishing pools, fishing trips, or fish catching or, mixing metaphors, fields, fruit, and harvest: are all different things. 18 While walking by the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon (who is called Peter) and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea, for they were fishermen. 19 And he said to them, “Follow me, and I will … More Fishing Pools and Fishing Trips in the New Year
Indisputable 21st Century Facts: Relationships in our neighborhoods with our neighbors are characterized by three things, They are not natural They are not normal They are not necessary The first two items are a product of the third. Because our relationships with our neighbors are not necessary to our lives or our neighbors, almost all … More Our Problem in Making a Difference for Christ
“Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.”Matthew 4:19 Proposal: Encourage every SBC in America to commit one-eight-hour day a month by one of its pastors for the next 4 years to praying about, learning about, and planning for the planting of at least one church in the year 2028. Result: The … More A Church Planting Strategy for the SBC
The difference between outreach and evangelism is essentially this—outreach will almost universally get you pats on the back while evangelism will eventually get you persecuted. Outreach does not replace evangelism but it can be powerfully productive as a handmaid to evangelism OR an excuse for not doing evangelism. It can be the cowards way of … More “What is ‘Outreach'”?
One of the Things that Impresses Me about Jesus is His Men. Peter and Andrew were brothers. Peter, who famously denied Christ and Andrew who introduced him to Jesus. John and James were brothers too, and they were two guys with problem tempers. Jesus gave them knick names, “‘the sons of thunder.” Thomas is guilless … More One of the Things that Impresses Me . . .
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
Sunday Afternoon Musings “It is not simply to be taken for granted that the Christian has the privilege of living among other Christians. Jesus Christ lived in the midst of his enemies. At the end all his disciples deserted him. On the Cross he was utterly alone, surrounded by evildoers and mockers. For this cause … More In the Midst of Enemies
I am continuing my reread of the classic collection of essays by C.S. Lewis, THE WEIGHT OF GLORY AND OTHER ADDRESSES. The two paragraphs below are actually just a portion from one long paragraph that is almost two pages long! They are among two of the most quoted passages Lewis ever wrote but are even … More Thinking About Glory, and Neighbors and Christmas
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