Bible Engagement
(survey of 2,930 Protestant churchgoers) How often I read the Bible19% Every day26% A few times a week14% Once a week22% At least once a month18% Rarely or never I desire to please and honor Jesus in all that I do03% Disagree90% Agree Throughout the day I find myself thinking about biblical truths21% Disagree59% Agree
"Let the separation between you and the world be final and irreversible. Say, 'Here I go for Christ and His cross, for the truth of the Bible, for the laws of God, for holiness, for trust in Jesus; and never will I go back, come what may.'" - C. H. Spurgeon
"From beginning to end, the Bible calls for whole-hearted allegiance to Him. There is to be no compromise with other Gods." - D. L. Moody
Following Christ
"You can't tell people for two or three generations, as even some theologians have, that truth is relative and that nothing is absolute and then expect them to produce justice…You can't tell people that truth is relative and expect them to produce good government, worthwhile education, or honest business. So it's not just a little tinkering here and there that is necessary to get our confidence in the court systems back again…No system of any kind works when the people themselves have lost their way." - Joel Belz
Absolutes
Digital Dementia
The Telegraph (UK) newspaper reports that South Korean doctors are seeing more people with a decline in cognitive abilities of the sort “more commonly seen in people who have suffered a head injury or psychiatric illness.” They call the decline “digital dementia” and say it comes from the overuse of smart phones and other digital
Atlanta Stats
More than 5.1 million people live in metro Atlanta, and most are lost and unchurched. There are 190 people groups in Atlanta speaking 125 languages. Atlanta is a worldwide city of influence, ranking 39th on the Global City Index and 9th among US cities. In 1965 there were 166 Southern Baptist churches inside the perimeter
People-Pleasing Pastors
Avoiding the Pitfalls of Approval-Motivated Leadership – Charles Stone. IVP Praxis. While wanting to make people happy is generally a good thing, if leaders frequently seek validation from others because of an emotionally immature self, a host of issues can spring up. in an effort to keep all parties content or at least mollified, the
Preparation for the Filling of the Spirit
Author Unknown 2 Kings 3:16 I. Soul Preparation (regeneration; Titus 3:5) II. Mind Preparation (Phil. 2:5, Heb. 1:9) III. Heart Preparation (Acts 15:8-9) IV. Will Preparation (Acts 9:6, Mt. 4:19, Gen 24:58) V. Body Preparation (Rom. 12:1-2) VI. Motive Preparation (Acts 8:18-19) 2ProphetU2ProphetU is an online magazine/website, started by Warren Wiersbe and Michael Catt, to
"I think it's to the church's poverty that the average worship song now has so few words, so little truth. [It] is so focused on several commercial aspects of God, like the fact that he loves our praises." - Keith Getty
Worship Music
"Weakness, fear and hopelessness died. Strength, power and courage was born." - Malala Yousafzai (Pakistani education activist shot by Taliban in an assassination attempt, speaking to the U.N. on her 16th birthday)
Courage
Security and Privacy
Time Magazine polled Americans, weighing security against privacy, in light of new leaks. What do you think of the government’s collecting phone records, e-mails, and Internet-search records to prevent terrorist attacks?48% approve44% disapprove Should the government prosecute those who leak classified material that might damage security efforts?53% should prosecute28% should not prosecute because the public
How Optimistic are the World’s Millennials?
A Telefonica–Financial Times survey asked more than 12,000 millennials if their country’s “best days” lay ahead. Here’s the positive vote by region: 79% Asia78% Latin America69% Central and Eastern Europe66% Middle East and Africa47% North America41% Western Europe 2ProphetU2ProphetU is an online magazine/website, started by Warren Wiersbe and Michael Catt, to build up the church,
Letters to a Young Pastor
– Calvin Miller. David C. Cook. Calvin Miller didn’t learn everything he needed to know about being a pastor in his first year of seminary or his twenty-fifth year being with the church. He learned it along the way. And he’s got the battle scars to prove it. Having survived and sometimes even thrived, Miller