Revision as a Spiritual Discipline I have always believed that writing was a spiritual discipline. This book Living Revision, confirms my belief. Andrew has written a book that shows how writing can be a spiritual discipline. Andrew uses the language of faith to help writers. The writer doesn’t make the story. The story makes the writer. Therefore, the writer is a disciple of the story. The writer-disciple is encouraged to write as if it were a lifestyle or faith. Writing... Read more
Mastering Transitions by Ed Bratcher, Robert Kemper, and Douglas Scott is a comprehensive guide. The book shows what a minister should expect when they decide to move from one church to another, or one ministry to another. The book is divided into three parts. The first part of the book addresses “hearing the call.” Unique to Christianity is the idea that God calls a person to a ministry. This part of the book addresses how that happens. The three-step process... Read more
Introduction: Detox, Discern, Decide With Unfriend Yourself, Kyle Tennant has written a how-to guide for the Christian who wants to prevent social media from being a hindrance to one’s life and faith. The book is designed to be used as a tool to help someone go on a Facebook fast. Tennant hopes that the reader will gain a basic understanding of communication theory. He describes a three-step process during this Facebook fast. These steps include: detox, discern, and decide. First, Tennant... Read more
Dr. Billy Graham died today at the age of 99. (You can view his memorial site).He was an ordained Southern Baptist minister. Graham was an evangelist. He was well-admired by many people. During his lifetime, he influenced American Evangelicals and Evangelism. Below are five ways in which he influenced both movements. 1. He brought many organizations together to cooperate in evangelistic efforts Graham launched several ministries. He was the first full-time staff worker for Youth for Christ. In addition, he... Read more
If you have been watching the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) in recent years, you know that there has been a decline in membership, a stagnation of baptisms, and an increase in plateauing churches. This has been happening for well over a decade. Read more
10 Helpful Resources for Lent 40 Simple Thoughts for 40 Days of Lent This is a list of 40 simple thoughts or devotional reflections which I have written. They center around “Jesus _______.” God’s Favorite Place on Earth by Frank Viola I read this book during Lent and I found it a delightful read. The way Viola tells the story of Lazarus and his relationship with Jesus was unique and personal. You can find Viola’s blog on Patheos. Preparing for a... Read more
How to Train in the Sport of Godliness 1 Timothy 4:6-10 Starting this week, the Winter Olympics in South Korea will showcase a group of athletes who will compete for medals. Have you ever worked to get better at something? If so, you soon realized that the cliché “practice makes perfect” is true. Olympic Athletes seem to succeed with effortless grace, but their performances aren’t as easy as they look. The average Olympian trains four hours a day at least... Read more
How to Be a Champion in the Game of Life 1 Corinthians 9:24-27 Sylvester Stallone surprised the entertainment world by resurrecting his iconic movie hero, Rocky Balboa, for one last film in 2006. Then, while promoting the film, Stallone shocked Christian fans by saying that his faith in Jesus Christ had influenced the writing of the first Rocky screenplay. His renewed affiliation with Christianity had motivated him to write the last one. In an interview with Citizenlink.com, Stallone said, “I... Read more
5 Church Evangelism Principles Mark 6:7-13 1. Believe in the authority of Jesus (Mark 6:7) “He summoned the Twelve and began to send them out in pairs and gave them authority over unclean spirits.” (Mark 6:7, CSB) When you are sharing the Gospel, you are involved in spiritual warfare. You have to realize that this is not just about technique. This is not just about methods and models. This is about serious warfare. You have to believe that Jesus gave... Read more
Healing for Damaged Emotions by David Seamands Healing for Damaged Emotions by David Seamands is an excellent resource to help Christians deal with emotions that have been damaged. Seamands uses Matthew 8:17 and Romans 8:26-27 as the thesis for his book. He suggests from these verses that “infirmities” are damaged emotions. After explaining the Biblical definition of damaged emotions, Seamands shares how to deal with damaged emotions. He explains that one may be spiritual, yet still have emotional problems inside.... Read more
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