Voices from the Blogosphere
Jesus Plus Anything Equals Nothing
What do you add to a positive to make it a negative, or a neutral? What do you add to the supreme, above and beyond positive, to make it a neutral/negative?One complaint against religion is it is agenda-loaded. This can be most unsettling, when agendas change, when new conquerors co-opt the faith. This can most often happen with the elements of faith we least likely understand to the depth where we might actually be able to …
Stepping Into The Darkness
Have you ever heard the story of the man who slipped off the edge of a cliff and was desperately hanging on to a rope to keep from falling? The man screamed at the top of his voice, "IS THERE ANYONE THERE WHO CAN HELP ME?" A calm, reassuring voice answered back, "It is the Lord. Let go of the rope."The man thought about it for a moment, looked down to see how far he would …
Finding A Cause
Have you ever doubted your purpose in life? Have you ever thought, "What am I supposed to be doing?" Or why am I here? Why don't I have a mission in life?I have, with increasing intensity these last two weeks. I've been wrestling with the question, "What's next God?" I've been reading books about purpose and listening to great sermons like Craig Groeschel's "Warrior" series. I started asking God, "What do you want me to do? …
I’m Not Giving Up on the Church
Last week my friends, Jack and Molly, poured out their hearts to me about their church experience. They love their church in Ohio. They have been there for more than ten years now and are involved up to their eyeballs. Jack is a deacon and helps with some of the worship arts. Molly has been on the praise team and volunteers as she is able. They love their pastor and want to support him, but sadly, …
Which Economy Is It Going To Be?
The headlines are all heralding a disaster on the horizon:"Market set to fall on oil price, financials""Bankruptcies on the Rise""Rate uncertainty hangs over U.S. stocks"It is impossible to be within earshot of a television or radio, or scan the headlines of a newspaper, or open an Internet news site and not hear or see reports about the economy. These were random headlines found after a quick glance of online news on an average Tuesday. Discussions about …
Power Outage - A Reflection Of Our Lives
The remnants of Hurricane Ike brought a very unexpected windstorm to Louisville, Kentucky on Sunday. Worshippers in area churches heard and felt the massive winds hit at just about the time morning services were ending. By the time most got home, the winds -- sustained at over 70 miles per hour -- had done significant damage to trees and power lines.By nightfall, the impact was obvious. We are not threatened by short interruptions in electrical power. …
God And Wall Street
Most of us have been badly shaken by the tumultuous events in Wall Street. If you have an IRA or some kind of retirement plan, no doubt you're licking your wounds. You may even be fearful. I understand. I've experienced those apprehensions myself.But as I told a worried young man on our team today, we need to remember that fear is always the enemy of faith. A few months ago, in the midst of fervent prayer …
The Art Of Woo
If you are anything like me, you have moments when you dream of overcoming the Christian stereotype. Deep down, we long to be part of a loving and diverse community. We long to be part of a church known for caring for those the world has forgotten.We want to live out our lives of faith in ways that would please God and intrigue those around us. Wouldn't it be amazing if people saw our lives and …
Lessons Learned From September 11
There are certain events that are forever burned into our memory, events that everyone remembers where they were when they first heard the news. The attack on Pearl Harbor, the assassinations of JFK and Martin Luther King, the Challenger Disaster... and of course September 11, 2001.Today there will be extensive media coverage as America and the world remembers, even if just for a day, the horrible events that took place on this date seven years ago. …
The Tragedy Of Charity
In 2005, I went to Afghanistan with a group of donors, pastors, and development practitioners. Given the insecurity from the Taliban and the very real threat of bandits on the road to the north, we decided to take a Russian-made helicopter to reach small villages that had not been visibly touched by the outside world.In one remote village, we were paraded around by the elders who showed us all their "needs." They brought us to a …
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