Tag: Ministry

By micoots
05/02/2017 0

To All Peoples – Matthew 4:25

Key PassageMany, many people followed Jesus. These people were from Galilee, the Ten Towns, Jerusalem, Judea, and the area across the Jordan River.
— Matthew 4:25 ERV (Read Full Text)
Key ThoughtIn many of our minds, this list of towns is just a collection of Jewish hamlets. This was not so. Greeks, Romans, Samaritans, and Jews all made up the people who interacted with Jesus in his earthly ministry. Jesus carried out his ministry in a hotbed of hate and suspicion among different races and socia..

By micoots
03/02/2017 0

You Don’t Find Community by Looking for It

You can learn a lot about a church from its website.

Not long ago I researched a church in another state, and I could tell it cares about community. From the small groups offered to the pictures of smiling people drinking coffee together, this congregation clearly works hard to make connections. After watching a few online interviews, it was obvious they value friendship.

Sadly, it wasn’t obvious they value Christ. I imagine they do. They’re a church, after all. But it wasn’t plain from anyth..

By micoots
03/02/2017 0

February 3

“Be strong . . . and work; for I am with you,” says the Lord of hosts.
Haggai 2:4
Morning
“Be strong … and work; for I am with
you,” says the Lord of hosts.

I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing. § I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. § [Be] strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. § The joy of the Lord is your strength.

Thus says the Lord of hosts: “Let your hands be strong, you ..

By micoots
03/02/2017 0

Americans Agree: God Blesses Super Bowl Athletes, not Their Teams

How evangelicals and others see God’s providence in The Big Game vs. Trump’s election.

Is the God who reigns over Election Day also in charge of Super Bowl Sunday?

White evangelicals are twice as likely to say God plays a role determining the outcome of the presidential election than determining which team wins major sporting events, such as this weekend’s faceoff between the Atlanta Falcons and the New England Patriots.

While 71 percent saw God’s hand in Donald Trump’s victory, just 36 perce..

By micoots
03/02/2017 0

A La Carte (February 3)

Every day I comb through hundreds of Kindle book deals, most of which are utter junk, looking for the few that may be of interest. Today’s Kindle deals include just a few titles, but you may find them interesting.

Leading Your Family in God’s Two Gardens
There is lots to ponder and apply in this article from J.D. Greear: “An inheritance is what you leave behind for future generations. So when a church thinks about what they are ‘leaving behind’ for their city, they shouldn’t be thinking of mini..

By micoots
03/02/2017 0

Ministry to the Whole Person – Matthew 4:23

Key PassageJesus went everywhere in the country of Galilee. Jesus taught in the synagogues and told the Good News about the kingdom of heaven. And Jesus healed all the people's diseases and sicknesses.
— Matthew 4:23 ERV (Read Full Text)
Key ThoughtPreaching, teaching and healing. Three key elements of authentic ministry are (1) proclaiming the good news of God's Kingdom, (2) teaching people how to live obediently to the will of God, and (3) ministering to their brokenness with the gra..

By micoots
03/02/2017 0

Foster Care for the Least of These

He told us how many of them did not cry the first night.

In 2004 I learned about foster care from Perry Downs, a long-time professor at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School. He and his wife had taken in many children over the years. When he would check on them, they were screaming into their pillows. They had learned that they would be beaten if they cried, so he would only see silent screams.

Twelve years and a few kids later, my wife and I have opened our home to foster children. We have be..

By micoots
02/02/2017 0

False Start: Christian Faith on the Altar of Football

If confession is good for the soul, then writing this post should be like spring cleaning for my heart. Hi, my name’s David and I have a football problem.
I’m a loyal, 3rd-Generation Miami Dolphin fan (don’t laugh… “it’s root-root-root for the home team. If they don’t win, it’s a shame”). I’ve rooted for them since I was little and Dan “The Man” Marino was lighting up the record books. I rooted for them when they went 1-16, with their only win coming off a last-second field goal against a strugg..

By micoots
02/02/2017 0

Whom Do You Serve—the Dragon or the Lamb?

A friend quipped as he was finishing seminary that when asked his post-graduation plans, he would respond, “I’m going to be a celebrity pastor.” While his tongue-in-cheek remark brought laughs, it reminded of a real temptation leaders face.

Five years ago, pastor Jamin Goggin and theologian Kyle Strobel began to see this temptation in their own lives, and noted how an unhealthy desire for power superseded their devotion to Christ. This began their journey to understand where true kingdom power ..

By micoots
02/02/2017 0

5 Confessions of a “Failed” Church Planter

I’ve planted several churches and I know how hard it can be. I’ve never “closed” a plant, but I’ve sat with several others that have. It is painful– but sometimes it is helpful.

I think that doing an “autopsy” is a helpful part of the learning experience, and something which is not done often enough. Here is one such reflection from John Thomas, a former planter.

As an aside, one of the more fascinating documents we references in Viral Churches was an autopsy report by Todd Hunter. At the time..