Tuesday, 16 August 2011
Monday, 15 August 2011
Sunday, 14 August 2011
can you be so certain?
Tony Schwarz writes of Ten Principles to Live by in Fiercely Complex Times. They all bear considering but I liked the first in particular:
Always challenge certainty, especially your own.When you think you're undeniably right, ask yourself "What might I be missing here?" If we could truly figure it all out, what else would there be left to do?
Saturday, 13 August 2011
Friday, 12 August 2011
Do you want to work in an office?
Here's some interesting thoughts on the topic.
Me? I'd love to, but keep the home-based study, too, for when I want space and silence.
Wednesday, 10 August 2011
Tuesday, 9 August 2011
Monday, 8 August 2011
Saturday, 6 August 2011
Is mission your idol?
While a vision for serving God is needed, and the desperate condition of our world cannot be ignored, there is a higher calling that is going unanswered in many Christian communities. As shepherds of God’s people, we must not allow our fears of insignificance to drive us into an unrelenting pursuit of church growth, cultural impact, or missional activism. Instead, we must model for our people a first-class commitment to a first-class purpose—living in perpetual communion with God himself. As we embrace the call to live with God, only then will we be capable of illuminating such a life for our people.
Skye Jethani, Has Mission Become Our Idol?
Friday, 5 August 2011
Thursday, 4 August 2011
Using Desire Properly
Sometimes you'll listen to communicators who are really effective because they're great at playing on longings and producing emotional responses in people. And that can make a talk really successful, and it can make a communicator really popular. But it can actually damage the spiritual formation because people become dependent on a story or a lofty experience during a sermon to have deep emotions about God. And then when they're removed from that setting, they find themselves not feeling much about God. And part of what spiritual formation involves is the reformation of my desire so that I am freed from desires that lead me away from God, and I am increasingly motivated by desires that lead me toward God and the life God wants me to live.
John Ortberg, Redeeming Authority
Tuesday, 2 August 2011
Sunday, 31 July 2011
Modelling the message
At the end of an article that reflects on David Fitch's proposals for overhauling church planting, Jason Hood reminds us of the important example of the Apostle Paul. Whilst the whole article is worth reading, these words in themselves are solid food for thought:
Paul's own method for ministry was a message: his gospel (1 Cor. 15:1–4; Rom. 1:1–4) and his gospel-shaped way of life (1 Cor. 4:8–17).This message impacted Paul's method of ministry. He did not choose a tent-making approach to ministry for pragmatic or financial reasons, but for pastoral reasons. He used his lifestyle to model the sacrifice and service required of every Christian (Acts 20:33–35; 1 Thess. 2:9–12, compared with 1 Thess. 4:9–11; 2 Thess. 3:6–12; and a point also made in the middle of 1 Cor. 8:1–11:1).
Friday, 29 July 2011
Do you fear living an insignificant life?
Then you might like to read this piece by Skye Jethani.
Here's a taster:
When we come believe that our faith is primarily about what we can do forGod in the world, it is like throwing gasoline on our fear of insignificance. The resulting fire may be presented to others as a godly ambition, a holy desire to see God’s mission advance--the kind of drive evident in the Apostle Paul’s life. But when these flames are fueled by fear they reveal none of the peace, joy, or love displayed by Paul and rooted in the Spirit. Instead the relentless drive to prove our
worth can quickly become destructive.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)