When I first saw the Rogue One movie trailer enumerating the star’s unsavory recruitment qualifications, I imagined a few out-bound Christians defending before their programmatic pastors saying: “This is a movement, isn’t it? . . . I move.”
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On Ambition: Johnny Depp’s Depth
In one of my training classes a college student inquired about how to reach his highly ambitious friend. How could he talk to a person who is driven for success? Does the gospel have appeal to someone like him? So, we sat and deliberated for a time about his dream-driven mentality. Soon, ideas began to percolate about where conversations could go. Though there is nothing wrong with the benefits of hard work, or the blessings that accompany success; and we have many biblical examples of people possessing status, fame and wealth; the fact is, there is something inherently elusive about ambitions and dreams.
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The Church’s Tipping Point for Change
Ever since the first shock waves hit the church in the mid 60s, when the yearly anticipated attendance bump that all churches routinely counted on— came to a sudden halt, the religious climate of North America has been changing.
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How a Small Group Out-Missioned a Whole Church
Recently, I have had three pastors convey how unfruitful their church has been evangelistically. One was candid enough to admit that their 120 plus church had not reached even one person with the gospel—all year. The other two scenarios were not much better. When you see inclose what is actually happening (or not happening), the tale that I […]
Continue readingFaith-Sharing: How Do We Understand the Role of the Spirit?
While posting the Soul Whisperer YouTube series, one routine comment that we have gotten prompted this blog. At times, Christians on Facebook will see our appeal for mission training and reply: “We just need to follow the Spirit.” Let me be quick to affirm that following the Spirit’s lead is a biblical concept and applies to all conversations, and it appears to […]
Continue readingAslan’s Jesus Revision: My Critical Thoughts
Not to be confused with the God figure of C.S. Lewis’ Chronicles of Narnia, Reza Aslan is the author of the 2014 New York Times bestselling book on Jesus called Zealot. Through his revisionist eyes, readers will be led to believe that the New Testament writers with full-hearted intention got the story all wrong. Jesus is […]
Continue readingFive Perspective Shifts That Win Souls
Blog recipients: To supplement one of our YouTube videos, we linked this chapter from Soul Whisperer. Enjoy! — Chapter 18 — PERSPECTIVE SHIFTS The farther backward you can look, the farther forward you are likely to see. —WINSTON CHURCHILL I don’t know if this reflects a masochistic desire for pain, or sheer stupidity, but I […]
Continue readingBe a Picture for God
Paul and the Gospel: There are so many things to learn from God’s chosen “instrument” to the Gentiles (Acts 9:15). What a calling! When God looked down from heaven, it might seem like he chose the wrong guy. Yet we know in God’s infinite wisdom, this was no mistake. God saw in Paul many things that […]
Continue readingThe Significance of the Scrawl
Meditating on the story of the adulterous woman caught and corralled by a religious stone-throwing community, I puzzled over why the Gospel writer captured the detail, “But Jesus bent down and started to write on the ground with his finger” (John 8:6). Initially, I surmised that it was just one of those mindless actions that had […]
Continue readingHow Evangelism Got Lost
I know the title puts the skids on for some. What? Evangelism lost? That didn’t happen. You are right in the sense that God continues to reach people, and he continues to use his church, unquestionably. But what I am insinuating did happen. A shift took place that relegated evangelism from prominence. I believe such […]
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