Month: January 2016
The “E” Word, or, We Don’t Talk About That in Polite Company by Kim Reisman
January 28, 2016
Repeatedly, across denominations, both within and outside the church, I have encountered hesitation, frustration, misunderstanding, denial, negativity, and even outright hostility in response to the entire topic of evangelism. Few people, it seems – at least in Western context, are comfortable talking about evangelism, much less engaging in it.
Testing, Trusting, Timing by Otis McMillan
January 25, 2016
Many struggle endeavoring to conquer areas of weakness. Resolutions are made but change, if it comes, is only short lived. Their efforts are dependent on their own strength and will. Time in God’s Word is lacking. If you desire stability in the ways of the Lord the process must begin. Give time daily to read his Word, study to show yourself approved, and then meditate day and night upon what you have studied. Your strength and stability will follow.
Black Voices Matter: Do We Value African Leadership? by Maxie Dunnam
January 23, 2016
If the unity of a “communion” is dependent upon order and covenant in relation to Scripture and doctrine, as the World Anglican Communion is insisting, how much more is the unity of The United Methodist Church, as one denomination?
Our Sort-Of Free Will: How Relationship With God Happens by Andrew Thompson
January 21, 2016
I wake up on a Saturday morning. It’s a beautiful day. The sun is out and flowers are in bloom….
Afternoons, Coffee Spoons, and T.S. Eliot by Michael Smith
January 20, 2016
Beyond any book review or helpful ministry-related text I could recommend as a “must-read,” I would encourage you to pull a book off the shelf that has nothing to do with church, leadership, preaching, management, or finance. Let grace, beauty, and truth be revealed to you from the words of those who wish to tell a story, paint a picture with words, and sing a song without music.
A Pastoral Prayer: Remembering Martin Luther King, Jr by Claire Matheny
January 17, 2016
And so we pray today for our some day ending, for the will to keep on working, descending and ascending…
With by Carrie Carter
January 14, 2016
I’m tired of the struggle. I ask my 14-year-old to clean his room…again…knowing that there is no good reason I…
Wheaton, Allah, & the Trinity: Do Muslims Really Worship the Same God as C.S. Lewis? by Jerry Walls
January 13, 2016
Christian worship, whether expressed in the sacrament of Holy Communion, or in classic hymnody, is premised on gratitude for an act of sacrificial love that Muslims reject by virtue of denying not only the incarnation, but even that Jesus died on the cross. These distinctively Christian beliefs not only inspire Christian worship and devotion, but also define its content.
Holy Tenacity by James Petticrew
January 7, 2016
Yet day after day, week after week, month after month, year after year, and decade after decade, Jeremiah persistently did what God had called him to do. He didn’t give up, he didn’t move to a city where people were more responsive, he didn’t modify his message, he persistently carried on doing what God had called on him to do.