Josh Harris offers a fantastic 6-minute call for unity amongst Christians regardless of how you choose to educate your children. This is a wonderful video that has application in many churches across the country. Take the time to listen to Harris’ call for unity around the cross and reject disunity around schools.
I, along with all of the Elders at GLBC, are becoming more familiar with Ed Stetzer. We are currently enjoying his book, Breaking the Missional Code: Your Church Can Become a Missionary In Your Community. I have also started reading Ed’s blog and was challenged and encouraged by his most recent post. Kudos to Ed for his commitment to purity.
I’m new to pastoral ministry, and I obviously find it quite a bit different then my old job in a large corporation. It’s not harder (or easier), just different. Because it’s so different, I have some ups and downs as I grow accustomed to ministry. My last seven days haven’t been the best, and this article really helped.
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Skip Lost or American Idol this week and take the time to watch this vodcast. Warning: graphic descriptions of preaching and authority - not for church wimps. Read the rest of this entry »
Some of you may read USA Today, and caught a survey about the changing nature of religion in the US. It’s here, and it’s a fairly interesting read. For instance, it shows what many of us are saying - The nature of religion in the US is changing.
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John Piper writes in his book Brothers, We are not Professionals that prayer is
“the splicing of our limp wire to the lightning bolt of heaven. How astonishing it is that God wills to do His work through people. It is doubly astonishing that He ordains to fulfill His plans by being asked to do so by us.”
Twenty-Seven Michigan Baptist General Conference pastors, missionaries, and a few others gathered to splice our limp wires to the lightning bolt of heaven and ask God Read the rest of this entry »
Last week Chris Brauns posted a blog titled What scares me most as a pastor. I think I agree with his assessment. But what are the most exhilarating times of being a pastor? Here are two of mine from this past weekend:
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“The decision to serve as a spiritual leader signs one up for conflict,” says Reggie McNeal in his A Work of the Heart: Understanding How God Shapes Spiritual Leaders. But, McNeal claims, conflict plays an important role. First, “the presence of conflict does not necessarily signal the displeasure of God with the leader.” And second, “Spiritual leaders must welcome conflict as a heart-shaping tool of God.” Here are McNeal’s strategies for leaders dealing with conflict:
What books have had the most influence on your journey with Jesus Christ? Here are my top five, I hope to read yours!
I was planning on moving away from this topic for a while, but then my Co-Pastor and friend Andrew asked a question that others have asked: how does the New Perspective on Paul (NPP) apply to our preaching and the average person sitting in the pew on Sunday? In other words, is the NPP merely an academic debate? What is its relevance?
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