[Quick note about the links: I should repeat that I don’t necessarily agree with everything said in the links I provide. I may not agree with any of it! I try to provide links to things that I find interesting and thought-provoking. Thanks for reading!]
My Concern Over the Gospel-Centered Movement
The danger here should be obvious. Without a hermeneutical base to undergird our theological conclusions we are susceptible to losing what we have. If we are just fan-boys then we may follow a new theological band someday. If we are just fan-boys then we can’t train a new generation to discover these truths themselves.
What is needed more than simply a theological system is a hermeneutic. If the gospel-centered movement is not built upon a consistent, biblical hermeneutic then we will lose this thing as fast as we seem to have received it. Without a hermeneutic movements become memories.
The Pain of Disappointment, Part 3 (Paganism vs. Christianity)
This not just a battle for the hearts and minds of people. There are cosmic forces — heavenly beings, demons — seeking to defeat the church, fighting a losing battle against the power of Jesus.
And so, one way to tell the story of Jesus’ victory is in terms of his victory over evil, spiritual beings, demons pretending to be the gods of the pagans. And so, to understand the nature of evil, we would do well to study how the ancient world viewed their gods.
The Pub and the Disciple of Jesus
This doesn’t mean that we become drunkards and gluttons, though we may surely engage in activity that some will use as evidence to make such accusations (just as Jesus apparently was doing). What we are doing is living as kingdom people among the neighbors and community without judgment but instead living, listening and serving, witnessing without words and sermons until we are given the privilege to speak.
No one enriches hell more than false teachers. No one finds greater joy in drawing people away from truth and leading them into error. False teachers have been present in every era of human history, they have always been a plague and have always been in the business of providing counterfeit truth. While their circumstances may change, their methods remain consistent.
11 Traits of Churches That Will Impact the Future
1. The ability to say no.
2. Outsider focus.
3. Quick decision making.
4. Flexibility.
5. A willingness to embrace smaller to become bigger.
6. A quicker, lighter footprint.
7. Valuing online relationships as real relationships.
8. An openness to questions.
9. A high value on experimentation.
10. Prioritizing a for you not from you culture.
11. A tailored experience, not a tailored message.
7 Disastrous Results of Letting Your Personal Fulfillment Drive Your Ministry
1. You turn your congregation into a means to the end of your self-fulfillment.
2. You become discontent with your current role in ministry, and look for the next step up the pastoral ladder.
3. Your self-esteem becomes the barometer for your ministry.
4. TED Talks influence your philosophy of ministry more than the Bible.
5. You stop viewing your ministry within the scope of God’s kingdom.
6. Your definition of ministry success is focused on you.
7. Your identity becomes rooted in your ministry growth.
Congress surprised by drone use on U.S. soil? It shouldn’t be
But FBI use of drones on U.S. soil isn’t exactly a state secret. The Associated Press noted in March that “last month, the FBI used drones to maintain continuous surveillance of a bunker in Alabama where a 5-year-old boy was being held hostage.” And the use of drones for surveillance on U.S. soil is a well-reported phenomenon. How well? The Congressional Research Service (exactly what it sounds like) produced a 20-page report in April 2013 titled “Drones in Domestic Surveillance Operations: Fourth Amendment Implications and Legislative Responses” (the report was obtained and made public by the Federation of American Scientists).
Aaron’s Last Wish | $500 Tips for Waiters and Waitresses
Aaron was born June 15, 1982. He was a computer technician for Computers Plus in Lexington, KY and held a Bachelor’s degree in Construction Management. Aaron lived his life quickly, not holding on to many things and always with a vigor to have experiences not possessions. He was incredibly sentimental, though he always tried to hide it. The small things people did for him are what touched him the most. He was generous with the limited means he had, and his last wishes were that any money he had be given freely in ways that would impact those who received it.