Most leaders and most congregations are smart enough not to view conflict as fatal. Congregations want their leaders to work out problems. We ask people not to give up on their marriages and to avoid divorce, and they expect leaders to try to work out difficulties in the church. They look to leaders and say: …
If you missed the class, here is a crash-course…
There was a single word headlined in the news coming out of the Amish community of West Nickels Mines after a young husband and father shot five young girls dead: forgiveness. That word got the attention of the media, but what does it mean–“forgive”?
Among the most common buzzwords associated with leadership in the church today are “passion,” and “vision.” But another characteristic of quality leadership that is a non-negotiable, one that we neglect at our own peril, is wisdom. A leader can have passion enough to make listeners almost swoon and can pass on a contagious zeal, but …
People around the world have followed the gripping story of two young women, imprisoned in Iran for their faith. Today comes this great news from Elam Ministries… Fourteen months after they were arrested for their Christian faith and activities, Maryam Rostampour and Marzieh Amirizadeh have been acquitted of all charges by the Iranian judicial authorities. …
Out of an Iranian prison Read More »
Marie used to live a vibrant, attractive, life of faith. She served in her church several days a week, was known for her generosity, and even did some seminar speaking. Today she will tell you that she believes in God, but she has no connection with other Christians, and she has adopted the view that …
The practical atheist Read More »
I met Moishe Rosen at least a couple of different times over the years–a figure one cannot easily forget. Colorful, controversial. With his passing there is an opportunity to learn more about a remarkable movement called Jews for Jesus (Rosen was its founder). Ruth Tucker has written this excellent tribute.
The news is stunning out of Asia today, that it is confirmed that a South Korean ship sank because it was torpedoed by a North Korean vessel. Forty six sailors lost their lives as their ship sank beneath the sea in the March 26 incident. The political rhetoric is intense as a result.
While walking around the capital city of Laos, Vientienne, one sees one Buddhist temple after another, and many young men clad in the distinctive orange monks’ robes. Most young men join a monastery or a temple for at least a short period of time in their lives. Laos is one of just a handful of …
What communism could not do Read More »
While researching the topic of prosperity in the book of Proverbs for a sermon this weekend, I ran across an article in Time magazine called, “Does God Want You to be Rich?” Included are some interesting statistics based on a national survey of Christians in America.
an article by Stuart Briscoe Gerald Griffith, a pastor and Bible teacher in Toronto and my good friend, one day said to me, “Every week God gives me bread for his people.” I looked him straight in the eye and replied, “That’s true, but you spend a lot of time in the kitchen!”
You can gain anything you want in life–wealth, health, the perfect mate, the perfect weight, business success, respect from others–literally anything. That is the proposition and the promise of one of the best-selling books in the past few years, and the documentary film (DVD) on which it is based.
One of the things that I have never been able to understand is why preaching pastors and church worship staffs do not collaborate more in worship planning. For most churches the worship service is that koine experience–the hub of the wheel, the common life–that holds a church together. The weekly pattern of worship is transformational …
Make a greater investment in worship Read More »
One visually stunning (and sickening) site I recently saw in Thailand and Laos is the “spirit house” that is placed outside virtually every house and business establishment. A carryover from animism, the idea is that these small temples can be the habitation of spirits which otherwise would cause trouble for the owners of the house …
What house is your God in? Read More »
James Davison Hunter’s new book, To Change the World: The Irony, Tragedy, and Possibility of Christianity in the Late Modern World, is engendering a lot of discussion. I found this book to be more captivating, compelling, and controversial than any I have read in a long time. People who like the book are hoping it will liberate …
