Divorce Shocker: Most Marriages Do Make It

“First-time marriages: probably 20 to 25 percent have ended in divorce on average,” Feldhahn revealed. “Now, okay, that’s still too high, but it’s a whole lot better than what people think it is.”
Shaunti and Jeff point out the 50 percent figure came from projections of what researchers thought the divorce rate would become as they watched the divorce numbers rising in the 1970s and early 1980s when states around the nation were passing no-fault divorce laws.

7 Reasons Why Most Church Outreach Programs Fail

1. They are seen as an end instead of a means
2. Most outreach programs are not addressed in front-end membership classes
3. Many outreach programs do not feel natural
4. When a church has an outreach program, it can be perceived as a ministry for the few.
5. Most outreach programs fail to explain that sharing the love of Christ is a vital part of spiritual growth
6. Outreach programs can offer excuses for people not to be outwardly focused
7. Outreach programs can put the responsibility of evangelism on institutions

The differences between evangelism and church growth

Evangelism may be accomplished by one individual while church growth requires the cooperation of every member with whom the new convert interacts. Without it, the workers may be wasting their time.

Sinners and Holy People

Yet Jesus wants to remind us that performing a series of religious acts doesn’t make us right with God. Our attitude matters. What the Bible calls “the heart.” While men look at the outside, God looks at the heart.

Scottish mayor steps down after getting banned from every pub in town

“Everybody is treated the same. People need to be treating licensees and staff with respect,” said GPW Chairman Phil Cox, Express reported. “But we don’t expect the mayor of Gosport, who represents our town, to be involved in incidents like this.”

A Facebook group that I’m part of, called Compadres, is having a blog tour. The general theme is The Glory of The Son and each of us will pick a story, event or teaching of Jesus that reflects His glory. Here are the posts so far.
June 3: Jeremy Schopper: Leaving the Noise Behind
June 5: Danny Holman: Jesus Challenge
June 10: Carl Jenkins: Give A Man A Fish
June 17: Jonathan Dobbs: Why Me, God?
June 19: Scott Elliott:The Beauty of the Gospel
June 24: Chris Hodges: The Glory of the Son
June 26: David Smith: then they can see my glory, which you gave me
July 1: Jeremy Hoover: Matthew and Mission
July 3: Allen Carr: The Glory in the Welcome
July 10: Daniel Burns: Not So With You
July 15: Rex Butts: A Place For Lepers

The text says, “Moved with compassion, Jesus stretched our his hand and touched him, saying, ‘I am will. Be clean!’” (v. 42). I suppose Jesus simply could have spoken and cured this leper of his disease but that’s not what Jesus did. Moved by compassion, Jesus treated this leper as a human being by touching him. He didn’t have to but he did because restoring a sense of value and dignity to this leper was that important. That’s because this is what it looks like when the kingdom of God is at hand.