Saturday Links
Some links for your weekend reading:
How to Be On Mission in the City
- Get grounded in the gospel
- Learn your city’s story
- Engage in the life of the city
- Discern your city’s idols
- Retell your city’s story with the gospel
If we are a family of missionary servants, surely we’ll need to do more than meet once a week for a Bible study or just hang out together! Here are the things I’ve called my Missional Community to “open up” in order to be on mission.
Expectant vs. Reactionary Churches
Is your church more expectant or reactionary? Review these characteristics to see where your church is.
I’ve always been told that if a business or church isn’t growing, something must be terribly wrong. After all, healthy things always multiply and grow.
But frankly, that’s hogwash. It’s based on idealistic and wishful thinking. It’s a leadership urban legend. And a dangerous one at that.
Are you still working on your sermon Saturday night?
Many of the pastors that I interact with are frustrated that they are working on their sermons well into the weekend. If this is you consider applying the following principles to help you recapture your Saturdays.
As you can see the word gospel is mentioned throughout scripture in various ways and in various settings. Yet, the question still remains, “What is the gospel?”
Twelve Ways to Prepare Your Children for Times of Doubt
- Let them know that it is not abnormal to experience doubt.
- Share with them some of the doubts you struggle with.
- Help them prioritize their faith now.
- Facilitate a love of Christian heroes.
- Allow for a great deal of mystery.
- Ask the difficult questions.
- Make sure they know the heritage of their faith through church history.
- Continually teach your children an apologetic defense of the faith.
- Take your child on a missions trip.
- Give them a chance not to believe.
- Prepare them for suffering.
- Teach them to take care of their bodies.
The Litmus Test of Genuine Christianity
James provides a short, two-item checklist: (1) love—helping those in need, and (2) holiness—separating from worldly influence. These two traits summarize the practical outworking of a life changed by the gospel.
Tragedy as a form of art and of entertainment highlighted death, and death is central to true Christian worship.
Daily Slogging in the Power of the Spirit of God
I am not impressed by young pastors who seem too eager to publish books and speak at big events and get noticed. They are doing the work of the Lord, and that’s good. But what impresses me is my dad’s daily slogging, year after year, in the power of the Spirit, with no big-deal-ness as the payoff.
