Tag Archives: Bible

Apr 11 2012

this went thru my mind

 

Bible: C. S. Lewis and How the Bible Shows God’s Humility by Peter Enns

“Lewis says that neither Jesus nor Scripture are quite what we might have expected. Both are humble. And it is precisely this humility that drives us to see ‘the real sanctity, the real beauty, and sublimity’ in both.”

Civil War: Why Shiloh Matters by Winston Groom

“The Battle of Shiloh began at sunrise on April 6, 1862 … A great battle had indeed been anticipated; at stake was control of the Mississippi River Valley, which would likely decide who won the war. But the Battle of Shiloh was not the outcome that anyone wanted. … Americans north and south … were suddenly confronted with the sobering fact that Shiloh hadn’t been the decisive battle-to-end-all-battles; there was no crushing victory — only death and carnage on a scale previously unimaginable.”

[Personal note: Prior to the Civil War, some of my ancestors owned the land on which a significant portion of the Battle of Shiloh was fought.]

Economy: 50 Amazing Numbers About Today’s Economy by Morgan House

“In no particular order, here are 50 things about our economy that blow my mind …”

Opinions: Is Everyone Entitled to Their Opinion? by Seth Godin

“If we’re going to do great work, it means that some people aren’t going to like it. And if the people who don’t like it don’t have an impact on what happens to the work after it’s complete, the only recourse of someone doing great work is to ignore their opinion.”

Pacifism: From Religious Outsiders to Insiders: The Rise and Fall of Pacifism in the Churches of Christ by Michael W. Casey [required reading]

“… most in the mainstream Churches of Christ moved away from pacifism in the 1920s …”

Parenting: Should Your Kids Go To Haiti? by Mark Woodward

“Research … has shown that summer mission trips correlate at the top of those adolescent experiences that help secure faith in your children!”

Prayer: How to Pray for Your Pastor by Tim Spivey

“Praying for your minister is one of the most simple but valuable ways you can bless your church. It will bless your life as well. Some might ask, what specifically should I pray for? Good question.”

Apr 2 2012

word for the weak: week fourteen

 

This week’s theme in the Uncommon Truth for Common People project at MoSt Church is sharing your faith. The reading schedule looks like this:

• Mon., Apr. 2 – Matthew 28.16-20; Acts 1.1-9
• Tues., Apr. 3 – Romans 10.8-17; 2 Corinthians 5.11-21
• Wed., Apr. 4 – Acts 10.34-38; 13.13-39
• Thur., Apr. 5 – Acts 26.1-29; Psalm 71.14-24; 145.1-21
• Fri., Apr. 6 – 1 Corinthians 9.16-23; Colossians 4.2-6

This week’s memory verse is 1 Corinthians 9:23: “All the things I do are for the sake of the gospel …”

Mar 21 2012

this went thru my mind

 

Bible reading: New Research: How American Adults Read the Bible by Ed Stetzer

“After compiling the research though, we can unfortunately conclude that among American Bible readers, owning multiple Bibles is much more prevalent than regularly investing time in reading it.”

Church problems: Three Tough Church Situations by Joe McKeever

“… here are three ‘case studies’ or problem scenarios that occur with alarming frequency in our churches. And my suggestions on what the leadership should do in handling them.”

Consumerism: Rescuing Our Churches from Consumerism by John Johnson

“It looks something like this–worship is reduced to excellence on stage, with passive observers expecting something more next week; fellowship gets reduced to giving units; obedience gets reduced to legalism; sacrament gets reduced to an efficient prefilled communion cup with wafer; and the Bible gets reduced to a sermon extracted from its metanarrative–e.g. “7 tips to Marital Happiness”).”

Corruption: 50 States and No Winners by Caitlin Ginley

“State officials make lofty promises when it comes to ethics in government. They tout the transparency of legislative processes, accessibility of records, and the openness of public meetings. But these efforts often fall short of providing any real transparency or legitimate hope of rooting out corruption. That’s the depressing bottom line that emerges from the State Integrity Investigation, a first-of-its-kind, data-driven assessment of transparency, accountability and anti-corruption mechanisms in all 50 states. Not a single state — not one — earned an A grade from the months-long probe.”

Divorce: Divorce Advice by Russell Moore

“My wife and I are at an impasse. There’s been no abandonment, no sexual immorality, and no abuse. We just don’t get along. We shouldn’t have married. We should have known we are incompatible. I know God hates divorce but I don’t have any other option. My pastor and some Christian counselors have told me that while God hates divorce, this is the lesser of two evils because God doesn’t want me to be miserable. What do you think?”

Giving: Passing the Plate: Why American Christians Don’t Give Away More Money

“… pursue the question of why American Christians donate relatively small amounts of money. This issue can be perplexing to church leaders, given that most churches teach Christians to “give generously for the work of God’s kingdom.”

Happiness: 7 Steps to Becoming a Happy Person Others Want to Be Around by Michael Hyatt

“… I realized how destructive complaining about others is.”

Moral decline?: Our Great Moral Decline

“When considering America’s moral decline, my first instinct was to …”

Numbers & success: * Should a Pastor Evaluate His Ministry by Numbers? by Brian Croft * It’s All About the Numbers: Changing How We Measure Success in the Church by Kurt Willems

* “There is an epidemic in the American Church. It is an obsession with basing fruitfulness in ministry on a numbers game. The American way is bigger and better and I am troubled that the church in many ways has bought into this method of evaluation, and continues to do so.”

* “Instead of measuring success by numbers and quotas, what if we measure success by stories of how God is at work through various signs of the kingdom that we see in our context? In other words, in ministry and in any church function, what is our primary goal?”

Self-righteousness: Pastoral Idolatry: 10 Common Forms of False Righteousness in Ministry by Eric McKiddie

“If Calvin was right when he said that our hearts are idol factories, and he was, then pastors are no exception. Which insufficient form of righteousness are you guilty of seeking from ministry? Or – if you are like me – which one are you not guilty of seeking?”

Small groups: The Difference Between Huddles and Small Groups…and Why Many Churches Use Both by Doug Paul

“Most of the churches we have seen be very successful at discipling people well and who are missional sending centers for Missional Communities and other missional vehicles tend to have small groups (and/or other discipling vehicles).”

Mar 14 2012

this went thru my mind

 

Bible reading: 10 Signs You’re Not Reading Your Bible Enough by Trey Morgan

“You’re just sure that ‘Do not dance’ and ‘Do not gamble’ are two of the ten commandments.”

Conversation: How to Connect in a Conversation by Brad Lomenick

“Whether with someone you are meeting for the first time, or a follow up meeting, or a longtime business associate, it’s important to not just greet properly, but also connect. So here’s your cheat sheet for connecting in a conversation.”

Evangelism: * Becoming More Evangelistic by K. Rex Butts; * Tongues: We Won and We Lost by Terry Rush

“…there are some practical things that every Christian can do to be more evangelistic.”

” I see two glaring traits among us: (1) our people speak to those they know and struggle with using their tongue to speak to a stranger (in the church), and (2) fundamentally our tongues have gone mute when reaching to the unchurched.”

Marriage: * Does Your Marriage Have a Mission Statement? by Michael Hyatt; * Five Surefire Ways to Kill Your Marriage by Sophie Reinhardt

* “Ask, ‘What can I do within the next two months to get closer to the big goal? What steps can I take within the next six months?’”

* “Most marriages don’t fail because of the obvious reasons of violence or cheating. Sure, those may be the climax or breaking point, but really, marriages end because of a slow process of drifting apart.”

Odd/unique: 12 Creative Ways to Dispose of Your Cremains by Caleb Wilde

“So here – without further ado – are twelve names and twelve creative methods of cremation disposal.”

Public prayer: A Plea for Pray-ers by Gordon McDonald

“Can I be frank? I’m distressed by the low quality of public prayer that is being heard in too many worship services today. Too often, prayer is used as a transition from one event to another. But what if the pastoral prayer was (as some like to say) a main event?”

St. Patrick: Saint Patrick of Ireland, parts 1, 2 & 3 by Patrick Mead

“… I’ve received requests to write about St. Patrick. I can do that!”

Mar 7 2012

when the Bible you hear reads differently from the Bible you know

 

What do you do when:

  • you are met with something you’ve not ever heard before?
  • what you read or hear is very different from that with which you are accustomed?
  • you encounter a reading in a translation of Scripture with which you are not familiar?
  • the same truths you’ve heard expressed in a certain way or wording all your life are put forth in different words?
  • the Bible you’re reading now seems to teach something other than your current understanding of the text?
  • the person on the pew next to you totes and uses a version of Scripture other than your own?

Do you:

  • develop a bias toward all things old, reject anything new, and pine away for a simpler time?
  • assume the new rendering is mistaken and close your mind to any other possibility?
  • presume there is some sort of dark agenda or suspect the work of conspiracy on the part of translators?
  • lock your mind into only what teachers or loved ones in time past taught you to believe?
  • proudly tell yourself that you can read Scripture as well as anyone and need no real help making sense of it?
  • grumble over the constant change of things and how you wish Bible publishers would just leave well enough alone?

Or, do you:

  • remind yourself it is God himself who creates new things every morning and is constantly bringing about change?
  • find yourself spurred on in thought with an open, inquiring mind?
  • consult quality, objective resources that could help shed light on the matter?
  • open your mind to the teachers and loved ones with whom God has crossed your path now?
  • humbly consider yourself dependent on God and others to sharpen you on all things related to Scripture?
  • give thanks to God for the ceaseless labor of knowledgeable others who enable us all to have a Bible that reads the way we speak today?

May our time with Scripture ever be full of the latter and utterly devoid of the former.