“We are the colorful ones.” (Keith Green) Our lives, as a friend of mine is fond of saying, are the only Jesus people will see or hear. Keith Green understood that. He knew that the people were always watching us to see if there was any consistency between what we proclaimed and how we … More Our Lives are Windows
This is not a political prophecy. It isn’t an economic prophecy. I’m not in the prophecy business, frankly. It’s not a Socialism vs. Capitalism, Democrat vs. Republican, right vs. left, gay vs. straight, or any other grouping of characters or philosophies currently pitted against one another in the tooth-and-claw media narratives that are all the … More The Coming Darkness
Two years ago while I was the pastor of another church, our church started to rethink how we are forming people in Christ, i.e. discipleship. As a part of that process I ran across one church’s description of . . . The Chair The Row and the The Circle I thought it was very … More Making Space to Do What We are Called to Do–Make Disciples
The title of this post is the chapter heading from chapter 8 of John Piper’s A Godward Heart: Treasuring the God Who Loves You The book is similar to two previous books by Pastor John, The Godward Life: Book 1The Godward Life: Book 2. I recommend them all. This new third volume (2014) is composed … More Be Careful, Lest the Light in You Be Darkness
It’s the first sentence in John Piper’s short tribute to his father, William Solomon Hottle Piper. John calls it a mere “fragment” of the legacy his father left him in a life lived for the glory of God. His father was 88 when he died on March 6, 2007. The number one thing he learned … More A Father’s Legacy to a Son and More
The one thing we must do, make disciples, is the one thing that the church in America is failing at. Do you think that is too harsh a comment? Too pessimistic? I don’t think so. What I do think is that if we don’t take seriously Jesus’s command to make disciples and give real intention … More Discipleship–the one thing we must do
“If our churches don’t pray, and if people don’t have an appetite for God, what does it matter how many are attending the services? How would that impress God? Can you imagine the angels saying, ‘Oh, your pews! We can’t believe how beautiful they are! Up here in heaven, we’ve been talking about them for … More Sunday Afternoon Musings
Mark 3:13-15 13 And he went up on the mountain and called to him those whom he desired, and they came to him. 14 And he appointed twelve (whom he also named apostles) so that they might be with him and he might send them out to preach 15 and have authority to cast out demons. Withness: What is it? Withness … More “Withness”: What is it, why do we need it, how do we get it?
A vast literature has developed over the last four decades beginning and reaching its zenith in the 1970’s and 80’s. The “Church Growth” industry has slowed but the number of blogs peppering the internet with “how to do church better” has more than filled in the gap. Some of it can be helpful. My shelves … More Jesus Had a Plan for Church Growth
Tuesday Afternoon Musings When are we going to stop playing games? “Since all these things are to be destroyed in this way, what sort of people ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness, looking for and hastening the coming of the day of the God, . . .” —2 Peter 3:11 This week … More What Sort of People are We?
