November 2010
12 posts
6 tags
THE PLAGUE OF THE CHURCH
“They had been so comfortable with a nominal type of Christianity that allowed them to identify themselves with Jesus yet not be changed. It was the best kind of change, in their opinion, because it cost them nothing.”
from Telling the Stories that Matter
“If your guts do not ache for what you say you hope for, you are not really...”
– Jacques Ellul
8 tags
THERE IS A GREAT DIFFERENCE...
“Many people think of the Bible as a book of moral teachings with stories sprinkled in to illustrate the teachings, but it’s better than that… The Bible is a single true story with teachings sprinkled through to illustrate the story.”
~ Tim Keller via @CaesarKal
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For more on the Bible as a cohesive, beautiful story,...
4 tags
“There are two kinds of fear: The Bible talks a lot about fear of God—fear in the...”
– Win Butler, Arcade Fire
Paste Music article
7 tags
HOW DID JESUS UNDERSTAND THE SCRIPTURES?
“‘This is what is written: The Christ will suffer and rise from the dead on the third day, and repentance and forgiveness of sins will be preached in his name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.’ (Luke 24.46-47)
Now, Jesus is not quoting a specific text here, though we would love to have been able to ask which Scriptures he particularly had in mind (doubtless the two from...
LORD, MAY IT NOT BE SO!
“At the end of your life, you will lament when your physical body has been consumed, and you will say, ‘How I hated discipline, and how my heart despised correction. I didn’t obey my teachers or listen closely to my mentors. I was on the verge of complete ruin before the entire community.’ ”
Proverbs 5:11-14 (HCSB)
4 tags
THE HEART SWOONS FOR MANY IDOLS
In 1968, Australian psychologist Paul R. Wilson took a visiting Englishman around to five different groups of Sydney students. He introduced the man differently to each group, and when the visitor had left, Wilson asked the students to estimate his height. Results:
* “Mr. England, a student from Cambridge”: 5 ft. 9.8 in.
* “Mr. England, demonstrator in psychology from Cambridge”: 5 ft. 10.39...
4 tags
“Let it be known to you therefore, brothers, that through this man forgiveness of...”
– Acts 13.38
CONVICTING QUESTION
Do you know more about “mission” than you do about your neighbors?
@AdamSinnett
via @STimmis
5 tags
SOME THOUGHTS ON SCRIPTURE
Propositions on the nature and purpose of scripture God’s word is intended to be read primarily as a work pointing to and revealing God’s Messiah.
God’s word is intended to be read primarily by communities of people who know and follow that Messiah.
God’s word is intended to be read primarily by those communities in order to shape them for God’s mission.
The...
5 tags
HOUSE TO HOUSE IN ACTS
Acts 5.42- The Gospel is shared house to house (Spirit’s work)
Acts 8.3- Paul persecutes the church house to house (fighting the Spirit’s work)
Acts 9- Paul is transformed (Spirit’s work) Acts 20.20- Paul then disciples house to house (Spirit’s work)
Main lesson from the book of Acts: the Spirit always wins.
