The Future
It’s About the Mission
More about the conversation with my pastor friend… Are people less committed these days than a few years ago? One thing seems clear: people are orbiting away from high levels of affiliation with the Church. This is tragic. It breaks the heart of God. This pattern must change. Consider this: the Church is doing a…
Read MoreLesson #5: Resolution Is Essential
#5: Resolution Is Essential When you experience death, you WILL have people to forgive. I wrote recently about some “Job friends” related to my death experience. Several asked if I resolved my issues with them. The answer is both yes and no. Yes, I have forgiven them. I have moved on in life, figuratively and…
Read MoreGod Is Up To Changes All Over
Ever get to a fork in the road? Yogi Berra exhorts us to take it in times like that. We can hopefully all relate to the notion of coming to a fork in the road in the best sense of the possibilities that God is opening up for us. I know more people who are…
Read MoreFrom Message First To Serving First
In every major city in the world today, it is no longer possible to approach an emotionally healthy stranger and engage him/her in conversation about spiritual things. True, there are exceptions, but those are the desperate, depressed even suicidal people – or those special situations that God simply sets up in his unique way. It…
Read MoreDoable
The current stat that has held steady for decades – that only 3% of the attendees of even the most evangelistic churches will even one time share their faith in Jesus with anyone outside of their own immediate family, in their lifetimes… this stat will fall to pieces in the next decade. I may be…
Read MoreFrom Expert to Novice
Somehow we clearly communicated that evangelism is for the experts only (please – let’s drop the word “outreach” – it is a false, non-biblical word that is entirely confusing – it now means advertising as much as anything – I implore you – words do make a difference – the culture around us isn’t one…
Read MoreWhere On Earth Is The Church Going?
Ever wonder “Where will things be in ten years?” I abide by the wisdom that our greatest mistake is to overestimate what can happen in the long run (ten years say) and to underestimate what change can happen in the short haul (five years). With that in mind, let me take a shot at what…
Read MoreWalking In The Spirit… Facing the “Problem” of Islam (part 2)
Is the Church under attack from outside forces right now, as in the “Islamic problem,” as many Church leaders are referring to it? Clearly, the answer is yes. Clearly, the answer is no. The big yes goes down like this – we are seeing the world turn increasingly international. People are increasingly irrational. People are…
Read MoreWalking In The Spirit… Facing the “Problem” of Islam
This week’s CBS Good Morning show focused in part upon the growing influence Islamic values are having upon the fashion industry. One very popular magazine is dedicated to helping young Islamic girls (some included in the story had last names that were Swedish like mine such as “Nelson” – one girl’s first name was “Ingrid”)…
Read MoreBe Careful With Your Discarded Ideas
I’m a pistachio fan. When you eat them, I recommend you have two bowls – one for the unshelled nuts, and a second one for the non-useful shells. You’ll be able to tell for sure which is which – the useful from the discards. That way you will be able to put your hand into…
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