Run with the Horses
The Quest for Life at Its Best – Eugene Peterson. Formatio. In a series of profound reflections on the life of Jeremiah the prophet, Eugene Peterson explores the heart of what it means to be fully and genuinely human. His writing is filled with humor and self-reflection, insight and wisdom, helping to set a
How to Amaze Jesus
Written by: Bill Elliff There are only two times recorded in the scripture when Jesus was amazed and both of them deal with someone’s response of faith. Luke 7 record’s the interchange between Jesus and a Centurion (a Roman leader over 100 men) who had a dying slave and sent for Jesus. When Christ was
"The Bible has always been regarded as part of the Common Law of England." - William Blackstone
"The Bible is no mere book, but a Living Creature, with a power that conquers all that oppose it." - Napoleon Bonaparte
"The American nation from its first settlement in Jamestown to this hour is based upon and permeated by the Bible." - James Brewer
"No lawyer can afford to be ignorant of the Bible." - Rufus Choate
"The Bible is a supernatural book and can be understood only by supernatural aid." - A. W. Tozer
"A knowledge of the Bible without a college course is more valuable than a college course without the Bible." - Unknown
The Bible
"Some day, in years to come, you will be wrestling with the great temptation, or trembling under the great sorrow of your life. But the real struggle is here, now, in these quiet weeks. Now it is being decided whether, in the day of your supreme sorrow or temptation, you shall miserably fail or gloriously conquer. Character cannot be made except by a steady, long continued process."- Phillips Brooks
Character
"Atheism is the death of hope and the suicide of the soul." - Anonymous
"Atheism in not simply beyond reason, it is contrary to reason." - Dave Hunt
"Atheism is rather in the lip than in the heart of man." - Bacon
Atheism
Technology
According to a 2008 Barna Survey: 16% of churches podcast26% of churches have a MySpace or social networking page47% of larger churches (250 or more adults) podcast and have a social networking page56% of churches send e-blasts to members and attenders62% of churches have a website91% of larger churches (250 or more adults) have a
Staff Members
Why Staff Members May Plan to Leave Your Church25% Conflict with current leadership19% Financial pressure13% Don’t fit the vision11% Apathy of the congregation09% Probably will be fired08% Pursuing more education15% Other (need a change, lack of growth, family reasons, burnout, etc.) Why Staff Members May Plan to Stay at Your Church35% They feel “called”18% There’s
Sex by the Numbers
(From USA Today, June 2008) 5 million opposite-sex couples in the U.S. live together “without benefit of marriage” today, up from half-a-million in 1970. 10% of American couples are cohabiting while unmarried, compared to up to 30% in Western Europe, Canada, and Australia. Sponsors fo the National Marriage Project study say the U.S. numbers are
God Behaving Badly
Is the God of the Old Testament Angry, Sexist and Racist? – David T. Lamb. IVP Books. The old Testament seems to portray God as capricious and malevolent, punishing enemies with extreme prejudice. Is this our God? Without minimizing the sometimes harsh realities of the biblical record, David Lamb unpacks the complexity of the Old
Rubbernecking
Written by: Bill Elliff Drives me nuts. It always happens when you are in a particular hurry to get somewhere, only to discover that the traffic is backed up for miles. “There must be a wreck,” you surmise. But when you finally reach the scene you realize that the car is off the road, out
Building a Monumental Faith that Stands
by Michael Catt (from the Leap of Faith series) Joshua 4 I. Why the stones? Monuments are built to remember and teach. The stones were: Teaching tools for future generations Reminders of those first steps of faith To preserve and promote the memory of what God had done What do these stones mean?1) They were
"Wisdom is, and starts with, the humility to accept the fact that you don't have all the right answers, and the courage to learn to ask the right questions." - Anonymous
Wisdom