Feb

2

1 Peter 2:11-25 — Submitting Like the Servant

February 2, 2012 | Leave a Comment

In this fourth lesson of Sue Edwards’ study on 1 Peter, we come to what I consider to be some of the most difficult verses in the Bible. I am, by nature and heritage, a fighter. I feel justice deeply within my soul and spirit. Even as a child, I would get in trouble for [...]

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Jan

10

What’s in it for God?

January 10, 2012 | 2 Comments

As I always try to do the first week or so of January, I’ve been praying a lot about my year. I’ve evaluated last year, rejoicing in the things that worked and critiquing the things that didn’t. What do I want to repeat in 2012? What do I want to avoid like the plague in [...]

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Oct

23

Zombie Church: Breathing Life Back into the Body of Christ

October 23, 2011 | 5 Comments

Tyler Edwards, pastor of Cornerstone Christian Church in Joplin, MO, says there is something missing in the church today. Stuck in a rut of routines and rituals, he claims the church is caught up in doing what it is “supposed to do” but is lacking the true essence of what it is supposed to provide: [...]

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Oct

6

Let’s Take Another Look at Halloween

October 6, 2011 | 1 Comment

Fall is in the air. In fact, this week in northern California actually feels like winter with rain, wind, and frigid temperatures. With autumn comes the second most popular holiday in the US – Halloween. What is your opinion about Halloween? And what is that opinion based on? I was pretty ambivalent until I started [...]

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Sep

16

Becoming a Stress-Free Believer

September 16, 2011 | 5 Comments

Do you have people in your life who seem to live under a cloud of stress and anxiety? I do, both in my family and among many in my ministry sphere. And have you noticed that stress and anxiety seem to multiply, growing before your very eyes? People aren’t just stressed about one thing. Before [...]

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May

14

Pray for North Korea

May 14, 2011 | Comments Off

I must confess that I don’t spend enough time praying for other nations and almost never write about them. Yes, I read Voice of the Martyrs magazine every month and pray as I read those articles. But the reality is, I’m generally consumed with issues much closer to home. But when I saw this video [...]

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Mar

25

How Do You Identify and Define Your Lay MInisters?

March 25, 2011 | 4 Comments

Dan Lentz has a great article on Small Group Dynamics called “Why ‘Lay’ Small-Group Leaders Should Carry ‘Clergy’ Business Cards.” He makes the point that the distinctions between “lay” and “clergy” are counter-productive. Amen, Dan! This has been one of my soapboxes for most of my Christian career. In every church that I’ve been a [...]

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Jun

25

Creating Other People

June 25, 2010 | Comments Off

I’ve been reading a great book called SuperCoach: 10 Secrets to Transform Anyone’s Life by Michael Neil. The book is full of  helpful hints for successful living. I especially liked his chapter on “Listening” in relation to my interest in challenging people. He says, We’ll nearly always hear what we’re listening for. This creates a [...]

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May

13

American “Millennials” Are Spiritually Diverse (Part 2)

May 13, 2010 | 1 Comment

Today we’re presenting the second part August 2009 LifeWay Research study of a national, demographically representative survey of 1,200 Millennials in the United States.  The first part of the study is reviewed here: Here is how Millennials respond to a series of doctrinal statements: God, Satan, sin and salvation * “God is a real being, [...]

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May

11

American “Millennials” Are Spiritually Diverse (Part 1)

May 11, 2010 | 1 Comment

Two-thirds of American “Millennials” – those born between 1980 and 1991 – call themselves Christian, but far fewer pray or read the Bible daily, attend weekly worship services, or hold to historical positions on the Bible and its teachings. These findings, which will affect how we lead our churches and small groups, are from a [...]

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