“How I Select and Schedule Discipling Relationships” Many times pastors and church leaders struggle to figure out how to make time for discipleship with other men. Greg Spraul, an elder at Capitol Hill Baptist in Washington, shares some thoughts on this important issue. “A new elder recently asked a more experienced elder of his church how he finds time to disciple younger men in the faith and to evangelize. After all, this new elder has an intense Washington DC job,... Read more
“The Unbreakable Laura Hillenbrand” Laura Hillenbrand’s Unbroken was the best book I read in 2014. This profile of Hellenbrand from the New York Times gives great insight into her life, difficulties, and writing method. “Zamperini was happy to cooperate with Hillenbrand, but he was 86 and living in California. Once again, Hillenbrand’s illness posed a reporting conundrum. Neither she nor Zamperini could easily fly to meet each other. Over the next seven years, as she researched and wrote “Unbroken,” they... Read more
The release of the “Torture Report” last week generated heated discussion about the use of Enhanced Interrogation Techniques by the CIA on detainees in the aftermath of 9/11. 49% of Americans believe these techniques are torture, according to a recent Washington Post/ABC News poll. Since 59% of all Americans approve of the measures, some who would call this torture believe it was justified. White evangelical Christians constitute the largest group of people who endorse the use of Enhanced Interrogation Techniques.... Read more
“How to Use Your Home for Mission” We do not realize how much evangelism and discipleship can happen in our homes around a meal or on the back porch. The Bible commends the practice of hospitality to Christians for this reason. Dustin Willis offers some helpful thoughts on how our homes can be used for this purpose. “Hospitality gives us the opportunity to display the gospel to those we welcome into our homes. Hospitality at its essence is about allowing... Read more
These are not necessarily the best books I read that were published this year, but they were the best ones I have read. One of my goals this year was to read outside of my normal stream, and this list reflects that aim to a degree. While some of the books I list are not explicitly Christian, they informed how I live in the world as a follower of Christ. (While these are my favorite books from this year, you... Read more
When Riverchase United Methodist Church announced they would hold church services in a local Buffalo Wild Wings, they probably hoped to make a splash in the city of Hoover. I doubt they knew the move would inspire a top ten list on David Letterman and spawn endless debates on social media. People from different “camps” have had strong opinions about this decision. Some believe this is a revolutionary idea to reach more people because some in our culture don’t feel... Read more
No, You Are Not Running Late. You Are Rude and Inconsiderate! Our culture increasingly tolerates tardiness. The tendency of those who run on time is to assume the worst about those who are late. Tim Challies acknowledges many of the character flaws that go along with running late, but also reminds us why we should show grace to those who run late. “So by all means, let’s plan to be on time, and let’s live orderly lives. But let’s be... Read more
The past two weeks our attention focused on two major grand jury decisions. The first was handed down last week in Ferguson, MO when a grand jury declined to indict officer Darren Wilson for the death of Michael Brown. Yesterday a New York grand jury did not issue an indictment of officer Daniel Pantaleo in the death of Eric Garner. Both decisions produced strong reactions on both sides of the political and cultural spectrum. From the beginning of the Michael... Read more
Since Thanksgiving we heard much buzz about Black Friday and Cyber Monday. These two days serve as important beginnings to the Christmas shopping seasons for retailers. Just as many retailers rely heavily on the Christmas season, many nonprofits are greatly helped by year-end giving. Giving Tuesday began a few years ago and focuses our attention to those in need in the midst of the holiday season. While there are a myriad of great organizations who would benefit from our generosity... Read more
Choose Hospitality over Entertaining With Thanksgiving approaching many of us will host family and friends in our homes. Particularly if you have small children, this means hours of running around and frantically cleaning your home before guests arrive. By the time of their arrival you are so tired that you cannot enjoy their company and are ready for them to leave. Writing for The Village Church’s blog, Jen Wilkin offers a better way forward. “Entertaining is always thinking about the... Read more
One Degree to Another
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