There are times so awkward or painful or frightening that I have no words. In those times I repeat to myself, “it’s not about me.” That phrase reorients me. The sooner I can recognize my inward turn the sooner I can make the God-directed U-turn I need to be an active minister of the gospel.
Here are five indicators that a church is on its way to experiencing gospel culture.
Those moments of awareness in the midst of our sin – those moments where we are surprised by our actions or thoughts – are moments of grace from the throne. Here’s what we can do.
There is a strain of Christianity that says, “Let your hearts be troubled.” And there is a proper place in the Christian life for true conviction of sin. But the gospel does not consist in a troubled heart. There is a bigger truth, a bigger reality, than troubling over our sin. There is a gospel of grace that envelopes it all.
When we open the Bible, we are confronted not just with words on a page but a person speaking through a page. We are confronted by God himself. To read the Bible is a risky thing. We cannot read it, put it down, and claim ignorance. We have been enlightened through the Scriptures to the reality of God. To open the Bible is to expose ourselves.
One popular ice-breaker question goes like this: "If you could have dinner with one famous person, living or dead, who would it be?" The supposition is that this person would be someone you find fascinating and would like to learn something from. Well, I find a way to have that dinner. It's just spread out across 365 consecutive days. Each year, I choose one author and read all of his or her works. People I share this with love the idea. So, I wanted to talk about why I do this and the benefits I've found that lie within.
You know those moments when you’re giving into temptation? Those moments when you’re in the midst of sin and you surprise even yourself? Those moments when the rest of God seems so far away? What do you do at that moment? What do you do when your peace with God doesn’t give you the peace of God?
4AM has, day by day, changed my life. I bet it could change yours, too.
A healthy leadership team doesn't see one another as competition but works together as one unit. Each person has their role and they work hard to perform in that role as best they can. But there is one competitive verse in the Bible. Romans 12:10 tells us to outdo one another in showing honor.
Oxford Dictionary added a new word this year. They called it the word of the year for 2016. Know what it is? “Post-truth.” Definition: “Relating to or denoting circumstances in which objective facts are less influential in shaping public opinion than appeals to emotion and personal belief.” Doesn’t that sum up 2016?
