Last spring I had the privilege of speaking at a conference for NFL players put on by Pro Athletes Outreach (PAO), a group which exists to unite a community of pro athletes and couples to grow as disciples of Jesus and positively impact their spheres of influence. They have a fantastic outreach to professional football and baseball athletes and their wives. I’ve seen firsthand the amazing difference they’re making. In the off-season I exchanged emails and texts with dozens of NFL players and cha..Continue reading→
Home
Thoughts
Motherhood Is a Marathon
I wanted to do great things for God. In the spring of my senior year of college, on the brink of embarking upon my own journey into adulthood, my future was undecided and that was simultaneously terrifying and thrilling. As a philosophy major, my path was narrower than I had realized, but I was sure it would take me on some grand and glorious adventure. I knew the chief end of man is to glorify God and enjoy him forever. “Glorify” sounds like such a grand term. It evokes images of battlefie..Continue reading→
1 Peter 5:7–8: How Not to Battle Anxiety
Anxieties attack our faith and torment our peace. The question with anxiety is not whether it will come, but rather, how can I fight it when it does? Watch NowContinue reading→
Is Love of Money Really the Root of All Evils?
Is the love of money the “root of all evils” or only the “root of all kinds of evil” (1 Timothy 6:10)? “All evils” is the formal English equivalent of the original Greek (pantōn tōn kakōn). It is remarkable that all older versions of the Bible translate 1 Timothy 6:10 in the more literal way: “The love of money is the root of all evils” (or all evil). This includes the Wycliffe Bible, Luther Bibel, Geneva Bible, King James Version, Douay-Rheims, Darby Bible, and Revised Standard Version. Bu..Continue reading→
Daily Verses
“Do You Love Me?”
Anyone who has left houses or . . . or children or lands, for My name's sake will receive a hundredfold, and inherit eternal life. Matthew 19:29, NKJVJesus looked straight at Peter and asked persistently for the third time, “Simon son of John, do you love me?” (John 21:17, NIV). Under the direct, searching gaze of his Lord, Peter must have known he was being asked whether he loved Jesus more than himself. This time did Peter squirm uncomfortably? Did he love Jesus more than the opinions of..Continue reading→
Isaiah 43:11-12
“I, even I, am the LORD, and apart from me there is no savior. I have revealed and saved and proclaimed— I, and not some foreign god among you. You are my witnesses,” declares the LORD, “that I am God.”Continue reading→
Jeremiah 10:7 (10-07-16)
Who would not fear thee, O King of nations? for to thee doth it appertain: forasmuch as among all the wise men of the nations, and in all their kingdoms, there is none like unto thee.— Jeremiah 10:7 (KJV) Thoughts on Today's Verse... Presidents, kings, and rulers have a host of "wise" and diplomatic counselors. Many also surround themselves with people of power and wealth. There is, however, only One King of the Nations! There is only One who will truly and ultimately rule over all ..Continue reading→
A Privileged Position
"You are my friends if you do what I command." John 15:14, NIV What could be a greater privilege than to have Jesus call us His friend? If I told you that the Queen of England was my friend, you would probably snicker. And rightly so. But if the Queen stated that, “Anne Lotz is my friend,” it would be impressive. It would indicate a relationship based on personal knowledge that she publicly affirmed. Jesus did more than say you and I could call Him our friend. He promises He will call us His fr..Continue reading→
Psalm 63:1
“[Psalm 63] A psalm of David. When he was in the Desert of Judah. You, God, are my God, earnestly I seek you; I thirst for you, my whole being longs for you, in a dry and parched land where there is no water.”Continue reading→
Daily Wisdom
Hebrews 11:1 (11-01-16)
Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.— Hebrews 11:1 (KJV) Thoughts on Today's Verse... "I believe, but help my unbelief!" That's what the father of the boy with convulsions said to Jesus (Mark 9:24). This must sometimes be our prayer, too. As we look at the great heroes of faith in Hebrews 11, we know this must have been their prayer as well. Their faith wasn't always perfect. Their trust wasn't always mature. But, they staye..Continue reading→
Homecoming Day
Rejoice because your names are written in heaven. Luke 10:20, NKJVWhen I know that my loved ones are coming home I begin to prepare for them. My son, Jonathan, loves barbecued spareribs on the grill and homemade apple pie. When Jonathan lived out of state, I would prepare those things for him, so that when he walked through the door of the house he knew he was expected and welcome, because this is his home! Considering how I prepare for my children when I know they are coming home, I love to t..Continue reading→
Ephesians 1:18
“I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in his holy people,”Continue reading→
1 Corinthians 10:31 (10-31-16)
Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God.— 1 Corinthians 10:31 (KJV) Thoughts on Today's Verse... As humans, we are often quick to quibble over things we feel are important to us when others don't share our enthusiasm — especially food, holidays, and special events. This problem is often more a sign of insecurity than it is a mark of sincerity. We are to do what we do based on our commitment to honor the Lord, not because others do it ..Continue reading→
Prayers
Daily Prayer for September 25
Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more...And he who sat upon the throne said, "Behold, I make all things new." Also he said, "Write this, for these words are trustworthy and true." Revelation 21:1, 5, RSV Lord our God, our Father, we look deep into your mighty Word and see the glory of the new world you will create according to your justice and truth. We thank you for giving us this joy on earth in the midst of a..Continue reading→
Abraham’s Faith
Passage: Hebrews 11:8-19 Prayer: Holy Father, in whom all faith is safe,I cannot imagine what it would be like to be asked to do what you asked Abraham to do. He was willing to sacrifice the very son you had promised to him, the son through whom you promised to make a great nation. He believed that you could do what he had never seen done before-raise someone from the dead.May I stay so close to you that I will never doubt your instructions to me. Like Abraham, I want to be willing to follow you to ..Continue reading→
Daily Prayer for September 24
Very truly I tell you, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds. Anyone who loves their life will lose it, while anyone who hates their life in this world will keep it for eternal life. John 12:24–25, NIV Dear Father in heaven, we long to be your children and to grow closer and closer to eternal life with all its goodness and truth. In your love to us your children, bless us as we walk on earth under great stress..Continue reading→
Giants of Faith
Passage: Hebrews 11:1-7 Prayer: Dear Father, trustworthy God,You alone are worthy of faith, for you alone have the power to keep promises. Increase my faith, Lord. May I have the full assurance of what I hope for, the firm conviction of the reality of what I do not yet see.Give me faith in your creation and ordering of the world, that what is here is made out of what does not appear.Give me faith like Abel, who sought your approval and whose faith still speaks beyond his death.Give me faith like Eno..Continue reading→
Church & Ministries
Two Texas Baptist Churches Face Expulsion Over Pro-Gay Stance
x To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Pastor George Mason of the Wilshire Baptist Church in Dallas, Texas.Reuters Two Baptist churches in Texas could be expelled from their governing body, the Baptist General Convention of Texas (BGCT), over their welcoming position towards gay people, according to the Baptist Standard and other reports. Wilshire Baptist in Dallas and First Baptist in Austin reportedly received letter..Continue reading→
Row Over Release Of Gay Clergy List
A row has erupted over a list of gay Church of England clergy published by a conservative Anglican group. GAFCON UK released the list on Sunday of clergy known to be in same-sex relationships or who have officiated over gay unions. Although those named have already publicly come out as gay, it is the first time such a list has been compiled and raised fears it will lead to increased abuse. The CofE's House of Bishops will meet to discuss the Church's next steps over teaching on gay m..Continue reading→
Justin Welby Preaches At Catholic Westminster Cathedral For First Time
The Archbishop of Canterbury preached for the first time at Westminster Cathedral, the heart of the British Catholic Church, on Sunday. Cardinal Vincent Nichols welcomed Justin Welby along with Catholic bishops from England and Wales for the closing of the Door of Mercy at the end of the Year of Mercy. The Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, preaching for the first time in the Catholic centre of the UK.©Mazur/www.catholicnews.org.uk Welby said the year, which began in December 2015, had "..Continue reading→
Vatican’s Christmas Display To Highlight Plight Of Refugees
x To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Pope Franics and the Vatican's traditional Christmas tree, in 2014.Reuters The traditional Christmas Nativity scene that adorns St Peter's Square, Vatican City will this year be dedicated to issues such as the environment, the refugee crisis, and those who are sick. The display will feature a 25 metre-high spruce tree, and the whole scene will light up for its official i..Continue reading→
Hot Topics
Why the Jewish Messiah is the Most Important Individual in History
However, he will differ from all other human beings: he will also be God. We know this for a few reasons. First, as mentioned in Micah 5:2, his existence has no beginning. That can only be said of an individual who is self-existent and uncreated; who is prior to all created things. The Hebrew Scriptures (and logic) tell us that such a being must be the God and Creator of all things. Second, Isaiah 7:14 mentions that he will be known as, “Immanuel,” which means “God with us.” Third, Isaiah’s seco..Continue reading→
Child Mortality & Divine Grace
Often someone will complain cluelessly that our present times are the worst. But in fact, even in today’s troubled world, we are living in the best times, the most privileged and blessed times. How many are aware and grateful? That millions and millions of young children who once routinely died now unexceptionally survive and thrive around the world should be cause for endless thanks, right? Last weekend on a Christmas candle light tour I visited the historic Carlyle House in Old Town Alexandri..Continue reading→
When Your Depressed Friend Twists God’s Word
Ministry success isn’t defined by the number of hands we heal but the hands we hold. Healing belongs to the Lord. Holding on is our sacred duty as fellow sojourners. We need more pastors like John Newton. Pastors that aren’t discouraged because their “projects” fail. But pastors that ache because their friends hurt. Pastors that stay and preach, and plod, and proclaim the excellencies of Christ even when it seems that we are only holding a symphony for the deaf. He is wise in heart and mighty i..Continue reading→
The Wrong Advent
This will be no ‘gentle Jesus, meek and mild’—where did he go? Oh, he came before, and offered forgiveness and peace, and hope. He laid down his life, bearing all the judgment rebels deserved. He welcomed rebels to come, giving lots of time and opportunity. But time has run out. Now he has come to Judge the earth. He offered to bear your judgment, but if you rejected his offer, you’ve missed your chance. Now only judgment awaits. ‘Tis the season for baby Jesuses and mangers, wise men and shephe..Continue reading→
Life & Society
Ohio House Unanimously Passes Bill Making Assisted Suicide a Felony
COLUMBUS, Ohio — The Ohio House of Representative unanimously passed a bill this week that would make assisted suicide a felony. H.B. 470, authored by State Sen. Bill Seitz, passed on Thursday after being approved by the House 92-5 in May. “[N]o person shall knowingly cause another person to commit or attempt to commit suicide by doing either of the following: (1) Providing the physical means by which the other person commits or attempts to commit suicide; (2) Participating in a physical act b..Continue reading→
Popular Baby Names 2017: Deities Like Thor, Odin, Jupiter and Zeus Predicted to Top the List
Babies named after mythological gods and wild animals?Continue reading→
School Staffer Ordered to Remove Charlie Brown Christmas Display So as Not to Offend Kids of Other Religions
Who knew that a cartoon would be able to encapsulate the true meaning of Christmas? In "A Charlie Brown Christmas," Linus touched the hearts of many when he recited an unforgettable Bible passage.Continue reading→
What Should Christian Parents Tell Their Kids About Santa Claus?
Santa Claus has remained a huge part of Christmas, with children all over the world looking forward to Christmas eve when the legendary jolly bearded man who wears a red outfit is said to travel worldwide using his trusty reindeers, delivering gifts to children who belong to the "nice" list.Continue reading→
Movies
COMMON BRINGS GLORY TO THE GRAMMYS (AND THE OSCARS): An Interview
What 2015 Grammy moment moved you? Kanye West’s cut in on Beck’s acceptance speech for “Album of the Year” garnered most of the headlines. How sad to a stunt overshadow Annie Lennox’s rousing rendition of “I Put a Spell On You” with Hozier. Pharrell reimagined his sunny single, “Happy,” into an intriguing protest echoing the “Hands up/Don’t shoot” posture that accompanied events in Ferguson, Missouri. Prince slipped in the best one-liner of the night, “Albums still matter. Just like books and bl..Continue reading→
Diablo Cody Tweets About Rescuing Jinger Duggar
Her new movie, Paradise, is all about religion. In the movie, which was originally titled Lamb of God, a young religious woman (Julianne Hough) is in a terrible accident, which causes her to question G-d and run off to Las Vegas to see what sin feels like. Well, it looks like screenwriter/director Diablo Cody had some pretty specific pop-culture inspirations for the movie: The Duggars. Particularly Jinger. Diablo recently tweeted that if Jinger ever wants to run away from her family, she can com..Continue reading→
Music
As We Ascend Releases First Single Wash Away to iTunes
As We Ascend's first single "Wash Away" is now available on iTunes, six days before the completion of their PledgeMusic campaign to fund the full length album Farewell to Midnight. In addition to being available on iTunes, "Wash Away" is also going for adds at radio. The PledgeMusic campaign is currently at 95% of its goal. You can listen to "Wash Away" below. As We Ascend, formed by former members of We As Human, launched their PledgeMusic campaign with the unique invitation to fans to "..Continue reading→
Bizzle Petitions for Financial Support of New Project
The recent release of Bizzle's new project Crowns & Crosses has sparked a conversation about the realities of being an artist with his God Over Money fans. In a recent newsletter, Bizzle details the shocking differences between a fan purchasing a physical or digital copy of any GOM release versus streaming through the likes of Spotify or Apple Music. He begins with the staggering reality that it takes 1,500 streams to equal that of one album sale. For example, if 100,000 fans stream the en..Continue reading→
John Mark McMillan Launches Pre-order for ‘Mercury & Lightning’
John Mark McMillan has launched a pre-order for his upcoming album Mercury & Lightning through PledgeMusic. The album has been preceded by the release of "Wilderlove" and "No Country." The PledgeMusic pre-order gives fans the chance to purchase a wide range of merch packages, with each one providing access to exclusive behind-the-scenes information approaching the album's release. The pre-order was launched in part due to the overwhelmingly positive response to the single "Wilderlove," re..Continue reading→
Sho Baraka’s ‘The Narrative’ Debuts at No. 6 on iTunes Hip Hop Chart and No. 26 on iTunes Overall
Critically acclaimed hip hop artist Sho Baraka unleashed The Narrative last week, and it was well received by fans and critics alike as it peaked at No. 6 on iTunes Hip Hop Chart and No. 26 on iTunes Overall Albums Chart. Created with the intention to generate a discussion among each other about the social issues we face today and throughout history, Sho Baraka is doing just that as shown by the critics below "Sho Baraka gives us conscious hip hop that makes us think. It is not intended for eas..Continue reading→
MercyMe’s ‘Welcome To The New’ Receives RIAA Gold Certification
GRAMMY® Nominated MercyMe's Welcome To The New (2014) has been honored with RIAA Gold Certification, marking the sixth gold album for the band in addition to a double platinum album and a platinum video. Welcome To The New earned two GRAMMY® nods, multiple GMA Dove Award honors and an American Music Award nomination. In addition, the album boasts three No. 1 singles with "Greater," "Flawless" and "Dear Younger Me," and one Top 5 single with "Shake." MercyMe is planning to unveil a new recor..Continue reading→
Deraj Drops A New Single
Deraj blessed both the genre and Reflection Music Group (RMG) fans worldwide with a new banger for the car on "Know That's Me," featuring KYNG. Listeners can purchase not only the track, but also the instrumental backing and an acapella version of the track. The three versions of this project may be purchased here, or streamed on Spotify. Visuals for the project debuted under the direction of Joe Desantis. The video may be viewed below. RMG has been quite the productive label as of late..Continue reading→
Live in Chicago: The Looking for America Tour by Switchfoot
Track Listing 01. Holy Water 02. Meant To Live 03. Bull In A China Shop 04. Where The Light Shines Through 05. I Won't Let You Go 06. Love Alone Is Worth The Fight 07. Hello Hurricane 08. If The House Burns Down Tonight 09. Float 10. Live it Well Continue reading→
Courtney Orlando Releases New Single, Wait On You
Courtney Orlando released his latest single "Wait on You" on October 10. You can download the track for free on SoundCloud here. Orlando describes the new track as an open conversation between him and God. No future plans of a full length project have been released at this time. The artist formally known as J.R. dug his roots into the hip-hop genre over a decade ago with his debut release Metamorphosis in 2005. Fittingly, change has followed him in the area of style, depth and even branding a..Continue reading→
The Narrative by Sho Baraka
Track Listing 01. Foreward, 1619 02. Soul, 1971 03. Kanye, 2009 (feat. Jackie Hill Perry) 04. Love, 1959 05. Here, 2016 (feat. Lecrae) 06. 30 & Up, 1986 (feat. Courtney Orlando) 07. Profhet, 1968 (feat. James Portier) 08. Maybe Both, 1865 (feat. James Portier) Purchase 09. Excellent, 2017 Purchase 10. Road to Humble, 1979 Purchase 11. Myhood, U.S.A., 1937 (feat. Vanessa Hill) 12. Words, 2006 13. Fathers, 2004 Purchase 14. Piano Break, 33 A.D. Continue reading→
American
More Pregnant Women Choose Life Over Abortion Than Ever Before
Last month the Guttmacher Institute released updated abortion statistics for the United States. Their latest survey of abortion facilities indicate that the number of abortions fell by approximately five percent between 2011 and 2014. The short-term abortion decline is unsurprising. The U.S. abortion rate has fallen steadily since 1980. Furthermore, these declines have been fairly consistent. They have occurred during times of economic prosperity and economic hardship. They have also occurred th..
Cecile Richards Says More Women Need to Brag About Their Abortions: “It’s Time to be Bold”
Planned Parenthood is desperate for support after Americans rejected its pro-abortion candidates in the November election and chose a strong majority of pro-life lawmakers instead. On Tuesday, the abortion business’s CEO Cecile Richards gave a talk at the Makers Conference urging people to get more involved in abortion advocacy. Richards, who makes close to $1 million a year, and her supposedly non-profit abortion group stand to lose big money from the federal government. Planned Parenthood cu..
Senators File Legislation to Stop Obama’s Rule Forcing States to Fund Planned Parenthood
In his last Christmas as president, Barack Obama made sure he played Santa for at least one group: Planned Parenthood. With just weeks to go in the White House, the abortion industry’s best friend did what it could to protect the industry from an administration sure to be bad for business. Using his power at Health and Human Services, President Obama issued a rule that not only locked down federal grants for Cecile Richards’s group through the Title X “family planning” program, but also blocked..
Washington DC assisted suicide bill puts patients at risk and prioritizes cost over compassion
Do no harm.” Three short words, but to physicians they represent a sacred charge. Three short words that now hang in the balance here in the District of Columbia, after the D.C. council passed the Death with Dignity Act (Act 21-577), legalizing physician-assisted suicide in the nation’s capital. In authorizing doctors to violate the Hippocratic oath of “do no harm,” physician-assisted suicide undermines a key safeguard that protects our nation’s most vulnerable citizens and helps to ensure our l..
Australia
Activists spy on sermons from churches meeting in public schools
Churches that meet in public school halls in NSW on Sundays are under attack for the content of their sermons. The attack comes from a one-man advocacy group linked to the campaign against scripture in public schools. Sermons found on the websites of Hunter Bible Church, Maitland Evangelical Church and The Lakes Evangelical Church (all part of the Fellowship of Independent Evangelical Churches) on the NSW mid north coast were the subject of complaints ..
Three cheers for missionaries
Over at the Centre for Public Christianity, we’ve been doing a lot of research lately into some of the worst bits of Christian history. The Spanish Inquisition. Sectarian violence. Early-modern witch hunts, and torture techniques I didn’t know existed (see: “squassation”). The casualness with which Crusaders massacred peoples not remotely connected with their war aims. The end result of such disheartening research will, I hope, be worth it: CPX..
Muslim refugees open to the Good News in their own language
In a refugee camp in northern France, a Pashtun man from Pakistan was happy to hear the good news of Jesus in an audio-visual presentation in his own language. It was an evangelistic audio-visual presentation by Global Recordings Network (GRN) giving an overview of the Bible story from creation to Christ and how to become a follower of Jesus. “He sat there holding the player while I showed him the pictures,” recalls Graydon Colville, international di..
‘Christian’ parties fighting for Senate scraps
Australia’s “Christian Values” parties have been left scrabbling for the twelfth Senate spot in three states (SA, NSW and Qld), in the wake of an election that favoured smaller parties. But the protest and conservative voters went to One Nation and Nick Xenophon ahead of the small Christian parties, that include Christian Democrats, Australian Christians, Democratic Labour, Rise Up Australia and Family First. “We have a very good chance of getting the t..
Entertainment
“Prayer Woven Into the Fabric of the Film”: A Q&A with Ben-Hur’s Roma Downey and Mark Burnett
On August 19, an exciting new Ben-Hur will be charging into theaters to tell once again the epic tale of brotherly betrayal and revenge for a new generation. At a recent press event in Los Angeles, we got the chance to speak with executive producers Mark Burnett and Roma Downey (The Bible, A.D., and Son of God) about this new imagining of a classic film and why they were drawn to the project. What attracted you to this production of Ben-Hur? Mark Burnett: Gary Barber, the chairman of MGM, had se..
Captain Fantastic: The Anti-Christian Christian Movie
Captain Fantastic, a little indie film out today, is a moving family parable about hippie dad Ben (Viggo Mortensen) and his eclectic family of six, leaving their near-isolation in the Pacific Northwest to attend a funeral. Did I say “attend?” I met stop. The funeral is that of Leslie, Ben’s wife and the children’s mother. Though we learn she was raised in a fairly traditional, comfortable Christian home, she became a Buddhist when she and Ben got together. And the last thing she wo..
Watch: New Trailer for Hillsong’s “Let Hope Rise” Live Today!
“Let Hope Rise,” the highly anticipated new feature film about the journey of youth-band-turned-international-sensation, Hillsong United, comes to theatres September 19. Here’s a first look at the trailer for the film, just released today.
“Let Hope Rise” Spotlights Rise of Christian Band “Hillsong UNITED”
IN THEATERS NATIONWIDE SEPT. 16 Film spotlights Hillsong UNITED’s remarkable journey from a youth group band at Hillsong Church to a worldwide recording and concert sensation Pure Flix is distributing HILLSONG-LET HOPE RISE, the highly anticipated feature film that chronicles the spectacular and miraculous rise to prominence of the Australia-based band, Hillsong UNITED. Directed by Michael John Warren (Jay Z’s FADE TO BLACK), the film explores Hillsong’s journey from a tiny church in the Sydney..
US
Obama picks a fight with Russians
President Obama has hit Russia with sanctions and the expulsion of diplomatic personnel in retaliation for Vladimir Putin’s alleged interference with the U.S. election. He has also threatened cyberattacks against Russia. In return, Russia is promising retaliation of its own. With only twenty or so days left in office, the president has stirred up a conflict with Russia that his successor is going to have to deal with. Donald Trump, with his pro-Russian leanings, will probably reverse Obama’s act..
Checking our predictions for 2016
It’s time to check the predictions we made around this time last year, something you don’t see the tabloids or most highly-paid consultants doing. Your predictions for 2016, as usual, were thoughtful, interesting, mostly-wrong, but with some remarkable accuracies. Go here to read them all and come to your own conclusions. We were still under the World Table comment system back then, so go to that link. If you do a search for the post, it will come up as there being no comments, but click the ful..
Birth as the “moral fault line of our time”
Christmas is about birth, Kevin Williamson reminds us, which is what reminds us most of our physicality. No wonder, he says, birth is also “the great political and moral fault line of our time.” Consider all of the moral issues that have to do with birth, whether preventing it or negating it: abortion, sex outside of marriage, pornography, today’s much vaunted fantasy of sex with robots. Consider the political and ideological issues: fears of overpopulation, health care, feminism, child poverty,..
Top religion stories of 2016
The Religion News Association announced its top 10 religion stories of 2016. Number one: Donald Trump’s election. Why was that a religion story? An important factor in Trump’s win was his support from evangelical voters, even though his lifestyle, moral history, and religious beliefs would not seem to be in accord with those of most Christian conservatives. What this means, though, is less clear. Does this mean Christian voters have sold out, or have they become pragmatic in choosing a candidate..
Church & Theology
Where Grace Abounds
Each year at Lancaster Baptist Church, we introduce a new theme for the year to our church family on Vision Sunday. Primarily we do this through the Sunday messages in which the theme is shared from a biblical text and then, in Sunday evening’s message, developed into ministry goals for the coming year. But one of the most memorable ways we introduce the theme is through teaching our church family a new chorus (typically written by our music team) based on the theme. Our theme for 2017 is “By ..
Growth Points 74: Three Attributes of a Great Year
When I think about a great ministry or a great minister, I think of John the Baptist. Jesus Himself called John and his ministry great: “For I say unto you, Among those that are born of women there is not a greater prophet than John the Baptist…” (Luke 7:28). John wasn’t as concerned with being relevant to his culture as he was with being in touch with God. It was his heart for God and the way he uncompromisingly shared God’s message that set him apart. In this growth points video, I share thr..
A White Man’s Meditations on Martin Luther King Day
Most of my childhood, I lived in highly diverse neighborhoods. My neighborhoods and schools were a mishmash of white, black, Asian, Hispanic, Pacific Islander, Middle Eastern, and more. I recently looked up the stats of my junior high, for example, and the current student population is 33% white, 30% Hispanic, 25% African American, 10% Asian, and a few others. This type of relatively even split is how I remember it. I don’t remember my parents ever making blatantly racist comments. Race was neve..
3 Dynamics of Growth in Grace
Do you need grace today? Do you desire to grow in grace this year? I suppose these are questions with self-evident answers. We know we need God’s grace, and we know Scripture commands us to grow in grace. But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and for ever. Amen.—2 Peter 3:18 This is what we desire for our lives as well as for the lives of those to whom we minister. But how? How do we grow in grace? And what does growth in grac..