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The World Doesn’t Deserve Them
Our staff is finishing up the book Radical by David Platt. He ends the book with my favorite thing: missionary stories. Radical missionary stories. I fed on these stories when I was in high school and college. Radical: Taking Back Your Faith from the American Dream C.T. Studd was a missionary who didn’t believe in retirement. Instead of hanging it…
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Clean and Unclean
15 The voice spoke a second time, “Never consider unclean what God has made pure.” (Acts 10:15, CEB) One of the greatest challenges for the American Church in our day is to rise above the political rhetoric, quit drawing political lines in the sand, and hear the voice of God in our midst once again. It’s not a matter of…
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Two Possible Responses to Jesus
In Mark 6 there are a couple of responses to Jesus. In vv. 1-6 the people familiar with Jesus didn’t think much of who he had become. They launched into stories of “I remember little Jesus when he was following his daddy around with a hammer…” In vv. 7-12 there is a different response. 7 He called for the Twelve…
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The Beautiful Obligation
16 If I preach the gospel, I have no reason to brag, since I’m obligated to do it. I’m in trouble if I don’t preach the gospel.(1 Cor. 9:16, CEB) 16 For when I preach the gospel, I cannot boast, since I am compelled to preach. Woe to me if I do not preach the gospel! (1 Cor. 9:16, NIV)…
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Passing Along Passion
This article on missions is challenging. Am I sharing God’s passion for the lost? As we have wrapped up our missions emphasis this year at church I have been blessed by seeing the passion for missions raised in our Faith Promise giving for next year. It looks like another increase! I am so deeply grateful. But there is something more…
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The King Jesus Gospel — Messing Up the Message
I am beginning to work my way through The King Jesus Gospel by Scot McKnight. My church staff will be making our way through it the next several weeks as well. The diagnosis of the “evangelical problem” resonates with me. The struggle over “decisions” and “disciples” has been something I’ve felt for all my years in ministry. McKnight lays out his…
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Evangelism — Orthodox and “Evangelical”
I have not been a fan of using church services alone to “evangelize.” A worship service is for…well… worship. It’s FOR Christ. Not us. But that’s just me. Obviously. 😉 This interview with Bishop Kallistos Ware (bishop of the Orthodox Church in England) is a good read. I like this exchange on “evangelism”: To draw in the unchurched, evangelical churches…
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Super Sunday
Evangelism paradigms shift from time to time. I admit I am far more relational in my approach to evangelism than event driven. In my circles, it’s almost crazy. We’re so driven by numbers and “big days.” This article by Mark Galli is refreshing to me. Aggravating to others, I’m sure, but refreshing to me. This quote is powerful: Second, we…
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Marketing and the Church
I get into debates with myself over what is “marketing” for the church. What “counts” vs. what “doesn’t count,” etc. But then I read articles like this one and just get sick. The article begins like this: In the back room of a theater on Beale Street, John Renken, 42, a pastor, recently led a group of young men in…
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The World Was Not Worthy of Them
You can’t get harvest from a place you haven’t sown seed.
Category: Evangelism
