All posts tagged: Jesus

Cultivating Growth: what church leaders are saying

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Six leaders describe how they foster spiritual transformation in others Article Via Leadership Journal There are many ways Christians grow: Bible study, fellowship, service, prayer, even hardship. Of course all transformation is ultimately the result of God’s work in a person’s heart. But we were curious: what can a leader do to facilitate this mysterious change in those he or she leads? We asked six church leaders to share one way in which they foster spiritual growth. We trust their responses will contribute to your growth, too. Discover the Story Together Scripture is best encountered in community. Sean Gladding For a decade my wife and I have been leading a study called “The Story of God.” Basically, we retell familiar biblical narratives in plain, … Disciplinarians Needed A firm word can lead to spiritual growth. Merrill Powers For the past 11 years, my wife and I have had the privilege of working with individuals who suffer from substance abuse issues. Nearly 600 men … Feed Yourself First If we’re not growing, we have little to …

Is there anything worse than blindness? Yes! A person with no vision.

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Pilgrims with no vision of the promised land become proprietors of their own land… Instead of looking upward at the Lord, they look inward at themselves and outward at each other. The result? Cabin fever. Quarreling families, Restless leaders, Fence building, Starked-off territory, No trespassing! signs are hung on hearts and homes. Spats turn into fights, as myopic groups turn to glare at each other’s weaknesses instead of turning to worship their common strength. _______________________________ Max Lucado, God came near (Portland, OR: Multnomah, 1987, 161. Photo via PRWeb

Dance in the Rain? We can’t dance until we lean how to lament.

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Written by Janelle Wangle with Jayleen Wangle via Bible Insight Just about everyone has heard the anonymous saying, “Life is not about waiting for the storm to pass, but learning to dance in the rain.” I wonder what the original author meant by “dance”? If they meant that we just tell ourselves to be happy or at least pretend to be happy and “look for the silver lining,” then I disagree with the saying. But if dance means to have intimacy with God, then I heartily agree. The last line of Michael Card’s song “Underneath the Door” says: “Pain is the pen that writes the songs and they call us forth to dance.” Card is calling us to dance to the songs that pain has written for us. These songs are written in major and minor keys. Many times they are not “beautiful,” and in fact are quite harsh, but the finished product is a masterpiece. Learning to Lament How do we dance to these songs? By being real with God. That’s the only way …

Hudson Taylor Part 2 (The matter of giving and receiving)

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I am not a pastor who encourages his congregation to give because of what they can get out of it. That does not mean they shouldn’t give. Having said that, the matter of giving is almost never just the matter of giving. According to Paul in Philippians 4:15, “Moreover, as you Philippians know, in the early days of your acquaintance with the gospel, when I set out from Macedonia, not one church shared with me in the matter of giving and receiving, except you only” – it is the matter of giving and receiving. You never ever hardly give and don’t receive – even though receiving is not the motivation here – there is always a receiving. And God determines that which is received. Here is a story in the life of Hudson Taylor that explains this: This is an excerpt from the biography of the life of Hudson Taylor In November, 1851, Hudson moved his lodging to a noisy suburb of Darinside, a neighborhood on the edge of town. Here he began a rigorous …

Hudson Taylor Part 1 (Compelled by the Spirit)

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  I don’t know about you… I love it when God put other people on my heart to pray for them. Sometimes it come to me through a dream, other times it comes it is like a heavy burden or an uneasiness that just drops you to your knees in prayer… especially when you want to sleep and can’t close your eyes because you have this person or thing on your mind. Or you find yourself just thinking about this person and situation incessantly with a strong desire to pray or at least reach out. I humbly report that I have seen vision and heard the audible voice of God concerning these things, but it doesn’t necessarily have to be that deep. I am sure you have found yourself thinking about somebody during your day and you called them – so you called them and your call was right on. You found out that it was a marriage under pressure, a kid out of control, a medical report that is devastating, a robbery on the way. God …

A passionate Tozer Prayer

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O Lord, I have heard Thy voice and was afraid. Thou hast called me to an awesome task in a grave and perilous hour. Thou are about to shake all nations and the earth and also heaven, that the things that cannot be shaken may remain. O Lord, our Lord, Thou has stopped to honor me to be Thy servant. No man takes this honor upon himself save he that is called of God as was Aaron. Thou has ordained me Thy messenger to them that are stubborn of heart and hard of hearing. They have rejected Thee, the Master, and it is not to be expected that they will receive me, the servant. My God, I shall not waste time deploring my weakness nor my unfittedness for the work. The responsibility is not mine but Thine. Thou hast said, “I knew thee—I ordained thee—I sanctified thee,” and Thou has also said, “Thou shalt go to all that I shall send thee, and whatsoever I command thee thou shalt speak.” Who am I to argue …

A Passionate call to seek, preach and live truth

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preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching. For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths. As for you, always be sober-minded, endure suffering, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry. 2 Timothy 4:2-5 P4CM presents Rhetoric 2012, the largest Christian Poetry event. Featured P4CM Poet Jackie Hill delivered her poem “Jig-A-Boo” in front of an audience of nearly 3,000 people. For more poetry and to know when the next Rhetoric will take please check out: http://www.P4CM.com

Modesto Manifesto!

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It is not uncommon now a days to hear about scandals in the lives of good christian ministers. Many have fallen into temptation and have lost their credibility in disgrace, not to mention the shame brought to the name of Jesus and his church. But there is a leading pioneer and church figure named Billy Graham that have made a difference over the past fifty to sixty years. Don’t get me wrong, Billy has had his share of criticism over the years, having come under intense scrutiny, but there has not been any scandal that has rocked his name or ministry. I believe one of the reasons why Billy Graham and his ministry has been able to remain rock steady has to do with a simple meeting that happened in a hotel room in Modesto, California. In that room on the night of November 1948 was birthed what they called “The Modesto Manifesto.” We will never criticize, condemn, or speak negatively about others… We will be accountable, particularly in handling finances, with integrity according to …

I don’t know why Jesus Loves me!

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One of the greatest mysteries of all time is the Love of God. It is so vast that we can’t get around it, it is so deep we can’t get under it and it is so high that we can not get over it. People from all walk of life are seeking daily to understand it. I love how the song writer puts it – “I don’t why Jesus loves – I don’t know why He cared – I don’t know why He sacrificed His life – oh but am glad – am glad He did.” We wonder why God would love a world that is so hostile and arrogant toward Him. Despite our arrogance and rebellion – the bible tells us that we are very special – in fact that is the very reason He created us. Here are a few ways God demonstrates his love toward us: 1.Through creation. He has giving us the following: the ability to think (Isa. 1:18) the ability to choose (Josh. 24:15). the ability to love (Mark 12:30 – 31). …

Why a Healthy Sex Life (If You’re Married) Makes You a Better Leader

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By Margaret Feinberg Via churchleaders.com While you’ve probably read books about sex and maybe even taken a few quizzes, have you ever correlated sex with your leadership skills? Although having a healthy sex life may not turn you into a superhuman leader, here are five ways a healthy sex life can improve your leadership skills: 1. A healthy sex life removes temptations. The temptations we face as leaders aren’t just sexual, but temptation takes many different forms. First Corinthians 7:5 encourages married believers to engage in sex, preventing a potential foothold for Satan. Whether it’s the allure of power or money or worldly success, if you are satisfied at home, you will feel less of a drive toward temptation elsewhere. 2. Leaders engaging in a healthy sexual relationship with their spouse will naturally develop stronger communication skills along with grace, humility, and gentleness. These skills are transferable, allowing you to be more effective when interacting with other people. Selfless love is the key to a healthy sex life; if leaders can selflessly love their spouse …