Hi guys. I need your help!

I am working on adding some additional ministry tools to my Spiritual gifts website. In case you have not seen this site, it is www.YourSpiritualGifts.com. This site lets people discover their top 5 Spiritual gifts. They can…

Recently Mark Woodward of Let's Start Talking posed the following question on his blog ( http://www.wadehodges.com/2005/04/19/an-emerging-church-of-christ-part-4/ ): "Is the proliferation of new church plants simply covering up the fact that the religious marketplace is much less “profitable”? To use the language of business: are we closing old stores and opening new stores, but that strategy in and of…

Consider this statement by ACU professor Richard Beck: "So why has mobile social computing affected church attendance? Well, if church has always been kind of lame and irritating why did people go in the first place? Easy, social relationships. Church has always been about social affiliation. You met your friends, discussed your week, talked football, shared information about good schools, talked local politics, got the scoop, and made social plans ("Let's get together for dinner this…

The present political divide in our country has brought to mind a much more serious divide, the church divide.  The political divide I am referring to is not the divide between political parties per se.  Rather it is the world-view held by opposing groups in our nation.  One group adheres to a world-view of personal responsibility,  independence, and self reliance.  In this group dependence upon others for sustenance is shameful.  The other group world view can best be summarized as…

Here is a short excellent post from SermonCentral about why some churches never grow. Every…

How does your family deal with the Santa Claus myth?

When my oldest daughter, Gina, was 4, she asked her mother about Santa Claus, who she had wondered about suspiciously for some time. 



She said, "Mom, will you tell me the truth?"

"Yes, dear," said Becki.

"Will you ALWAYS tell me…

A book which I am reading through right now and am starting to blog through is Effective Staffing for Vital Churches by Bill Easum and Bill Tenny-Brittian. It is,…

 

Yesterday we had quite the snow storm in McKinney, TX. Above is a picture of our family in the snow storm.…

The Attractional Lifestyle Of The Kingdom 5

A foundational truth of the Kingdom lifestyle: it is to be a blessed life. Jesus reveals to us that this lifestyle answers the longing of the heart of man: to be blessed, happy and content. In the first nine verses of the Sermon On The Mount, The Beatitudes, Jesus presents a spiritual mindset that is counter to that of natural mankind and the world. The blessed lifestyle of the Kingdom is a product of His nature or character…

The Attractional Lifestyle Of The Kingdom  #4

In the last Kingdom Note, we defined what makes up a unique culture. We also demonstrated that the culture of the Kingdom was based on a changed mentality, mastery and morality.

SERMON ON THE MOUNT

Lets begin to look at the spiritual beliefs that result in the values and actions of the Kingdom culture.

The intro to the sermon on…

I'd like to remind you today about a great mission field.

When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.” ~Matthew 9:36-38

I believe this is still true. Our first intuition may be to think that the harvest that is…

Anonymous Criticism is Cowardly - Both for the NY Jets and in the Church

An article was published today about Tim Tebow and the NY Jets, titled, "Tim Tebow Feels Frustration...Sadness" Over …

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The Challenges Facing the Republican Party:

10 Things that the US Church Can Learn From This

Though I place no faith in politics to change the world, I do follow politics closely. And as an observer of culture, it is clear that many of the challenges that the Republican party faces are also…

Here is a list of the 59 “One Anothers” of the New Testament, taken From Carl F. George, Prepare Your Church for the Future (Tarrytown: Revell, 1991), 129-131.

1. “…Be at peace with each other.” (Mark 9:50)

2. “…Wash one another’s feet.” (John 13:14)

3. “…Love one another…” (John 13:34)

4. “…Love…

How do you reach the unchurched? Build it and they will come? Here is a very relevant article from ChurchLeaders.com on reaching the unchurched. 

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Another one came this past week. A flyer arrived in my…

Why are Young Christians Leaving the Church? - Part 2: Shallow - (Does not impact real life, wrestle with real questions, or emphasize what is most important)

Recently, I was asked by someone why I thought that we were losing the "postmodern generation"--why younger Christians are leaving our fellowship. It is a…

Why are Young Christians Leaving the Church? - Part 1: Overprotective and Afraid of culture and Creativity)

Recently, I was asked by someone why I thought that we were losing the "postmodern generation"--why younger Christians are leaving our fellowship. It is a good question, and a question that other…

Loving Your Immediate Family and Church Family



Besides Christ, who is most precious to us? Is it not our immediate family and our church family? And yet, sometimes we fail to show our love for our family. Stress (which has been tremendous during The Great Recession), health isssues, grief, loss of a loved one, or just the busyness of life can cause us to take our family for granted. When facing life's challenges, we can have unrealistic, idealized expectations of our spouse or our…

My thesis is we have a moral/ethical/religious crisis which has precipitated a social/cultural/political crisis.  Therefore, what should be the primary concern of Christians?  ---Especially in our highly charged political atmosphere. If you would, click on the link and read my essay. I would welcome your comments and personal answer to the question What should concern Christians today?  The link follows:…