Tag Archives: Missions

Hard Heart, Soft Life

One of the things about any missions trip is it reveals a couple of things quickly: the condition of the heart and body. I may spend my life pastoring an inner ring suburb, where there are challenges of new ethnic groups, older groups not wanting change, poverty, transition, etc., that doesn’t mean I am usedContinue reading “Hard Heart, Soft Life”

Book Review: What Jesus Started

Steve Addison’s book, What Jesus Started, was sent to me for review by IVP. It is a book that repeats itself, and for once, that’s a good thing. There are books that repeat themselves because they need to fill up pages. Addison does so to reinforce the main points over and over, but using different applications toContinue reading “Book Review: What Jesus Started”

True Religion

27 True devotion, the kind that is pure and faultless before God the Father, is this: to care for orphans and widows in their difficulties and to keep the world from contaminating us. (James 1:27, CEB) The current rage on blogs and other online sources this week is the supposed demise of “liberal” Christianity… and thenContinue reading “True Religion”

No Place for Timid Hearts

As I read Radical and think of missionary heroes, there is a stirring in my heart about THIS being the time to step out in faith. We can’t wait for others. We need to hear the voice of the Spirit. Radical: Taking Back Your Faith from the American Dream Again in the Apocrypha, the CEBContinue reading “No Place for Timid Hearts”

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 inContinue reading “The World Doesn’t Deserve Them”

Three Martyrdoms — White

Dick Brodgen in The Live Dead Journal talks about three martyrdoms: red, green, and white. In the Green Martyrdom the Irish would build communities and invite people in. They would invite people to belong before the invitation to believe. Even though the Green Martyrdom is hard because it is giving up one’s will for another person,Continue reading “Three Martyrdoms — White”

Three Martyrdoms — Red

Dick Brogden may not be a name you know. He doesn’t care. What he cares about is proclaiming Christ to the nations, especially the peoples who have yet to hear. I’ve been going through a journal he edited called The Live Dead Journal. Halfway through, Dick talks about three martyrdoms. The Red Martyrdom is givingContinue reading “Three Martyrdoms — Red”

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.Continue reading “Passing Along Passion”

The Privilege of Living Dead

As I am challenging myself with John Wesley’s work on entire sanctification, I am meeting incredible people who live out the heart of Wesley’s message on a daily basis. They are people I can’t even name on a website because of the sensitive work they do. Their call is incredible. One organization challenging the ChristianContinue reading “The Privilege of Living Dead”