Acton Institute: The Study of Religion and Liberty
http://www.acton.org/
Reasons to Believe website
http://www.reasons.org/
Apologetics.com (their motto: "challenging believers to think and thinkers to believe")
http://www.apologetics.com/default.jsp
"The Testimony of the Evangelists" (a lawyer's take on the veracity of the Gospel evidence)
http://www.bibleteacher.org/sgtestimony.htm
ChristianWorldview.com
http://www.christianworldview.com/
Christianity and the Arts
http://www.artsreformation.com/
Reasons to Believe website (including the magazine, Facts for Faith): Connecting Science and Religion
http://www.reasons.org/
Wednesday, November 24, 2004
Concise booklist
Renovation of the Heart, Dallas Willard
A New Kind of Christian, Brian McLaren
Seeing God by Gerald McDermott
The Life You’ve Always Wanted, John Ortberg
Chuck Swindoll, Esther: A Woman of Strength and Dignity (Word 1997). This book provides insight into the life of a godly woman who used her beauty and intelligence to save lives. Esther is one of a series of books on people in the Bible; others include Moses, David, and Joseph. You will be amazed at what you learn about these admirable heroes.
Terry W. Glaspey, Children of a Greater God (Harvest House 1995). This book provides an excellent examination of the role that parents can play in helping to develop their children's moral imagination.
Dan DeHaan, The God You Can Know (Moody 1982). I came across this book several summers ago and I found its language captivating. It presented such a clear picture of God and His character. A great book that challenges the mind and refreshes the heart.
Orson Scott Card, Ender's Game; Speaker for the Dead (Tor). Card has established himself as one of the more readable and interesting writers of speculative fiction—he's also one of the more thoughtful. Ender's Game is a gripping page-turner that doesn't require you to check your intellect at the door. Speaker for the Dead brilliantly considers the implications of multi-cultural evangelism in a way few of us have ever imagined.
Robert Hudnut, Call Waiting: How to Hear God Speak (IVP 1999). The author describes how to listen to God by reviewing stories from Scripture of those who heard God speak to them. For the big decisions and the daily choices, these men and women trusted God to provide direction in their lives. When God spoke, they were listening. Hudnut describes different ways we might hear God's call today—during times of stress. Short chapters are ideal for devotional reading.
Misty Bernall, She Said Yes: The Unlikely Martyrdom of Cassie Bernall (Plough/Word 1999). Written by the mother of slain Littleton, Colorado student, Cassie Bernall, whose last words were an affirmation of her belief in God. A chronicle of a daughter's journey from adolescent turmoil to finding faith in an age of doubt, the book draws on reminiscences of Cassie and others impacted by Cassie's life and tragic death.
A New Kind of Christian, Brian McLaren
Seeing God by Gerald McDermott
The Life You’ve Always Wanted, John Ortberg
Chuck Swindoll, Esther: A Woman of Strength and Dignity (Word 1997). This book provides insight into the life of a godly woman who used her beauty and intelligence to save lives. Esther is one of a series of books on people in the Bible; others include Moses, David, and Joseph. You will be amazed at what you learn about these admirable heroes.
Terry W. Glaspey, Children of a Greater God (Harvest House 1995). This book provides an excellent examination of the role that parents can play in helping to develop their children's moral imagination.
Dan DeHaan, The God You Can Know (Moody 1982). I came across this book several summers ago and I found its language captivating. It presented such a clear picture of God and His character. A great book that challenges the mind and refreshes the heart.
Orson Scott Card, Ender's Game; Speaker for the Dead (Tor). Card has established himself as one of the more readable and interesting writers of speculative fiction—he's also one of the more thoughtful. Ender's Game is a gripping page-turner that doesn't require you to check your intellect at the door. Speaker for the Dead brilliantly considers the implications of multi-cultural evangelism in a way few of us have ever imagined.
Robert Hudnut, Call Waiting: How to Hear God Speak (IVP 1999). The author describes how to listen to God by reviewing stories from Scripture of those who heard God speak to them. For the big decisions and the daily choices, these men and women trusted God to provide direction in their lives. When God spoke, they were listening. Hudnut describes different ways we might hear God's call today—during times of stress. Short chapters are ideal for devotional reading.
Misty Bernall, She Said Yes: The Unlikely Martyrdom of Cassie Bernall (Plough/Word 1999). Written by the mother of slain Littleton, Colorado student, Cassie Bernall, whose last words were an affirmation of her belief in God. A chronicle of a daughter's journey from adolescent turmoil to finding faith in an age of doubt, the book draws on reminiscences of Cassie and others impacted by Cassie's life and tragic death.
Tuesday, November 23, 2004
Booklist
Philosophy/Epistemology and Theological Method
Beyond Foundationalism: Shaping Theology in a Postmodern Context
Stanley Grenz ,John Franke
Beyond Foundationailsm is a book that attempts to reshape our theological method in a post-foudationalist context. Although the concept of foundationalism may seem to be abstract to many its implications are seen and felt all around us – in the way people construct and act upon their beliefs. Grenz and Franke explain the subject well and speak of what is “beyond foundationalism”, of a faith that is colourful, creative and makes sense in a changing world. A great primer for this emerging conversation.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/0664257690/jasonclark-21/
Epistemology: Becoming Intellectually Virtuous
W. Jay Wood
This book is an absolute gem, and a must read for people trying to navigate post-modern culture. Jay Wood does an excellent job of introducing areas of philosophy, including foundationalism. Jay Wood attempts to speak about the way in which ethics and character should affect the way in which we construct belief. A stimulating read, and essential thinking in a time when constructing belief has often become disconnected from virtue.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/0877845220/jasonclark-21/
Beyond Liberalism and Fundamentalism: How Modern and Postmodern Philosophy Set the Theological Agenda
Nancey Murphy
Beyond Liberalism and Fundamentalism has become a standard text when considering the way in which modernity and a foundationalist epistemology has shaped the Protestant Church in the West. Murphy explains how both Liberal and Fundamental forms of Protestantism have emerged over time and shows us how they are both out workings of a similar philosophical framework. Murphy then proceeds to talk about where theology is heading, how the rules have changed and the opportunities that this presents to us.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/1563381761/jasonclark-21/
The Truth About the Truth
Walter Truett Anderson
This is a comprehensive starter pack into the world of postmodern thinking. The book comes in 4-part book that will certainly prove useful as a primer. Part one and two sets out to define and to explain vocabulary. Part three deals with the construction of self. Part four takes on a more big picture look (globalization) and closes with the positive side of postmodern discourse.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/0874778018/jasonclark-21/
The End of the World as We Know It: Clear Direction for Bold and Innovative Ministry in a Postmodern World
Chuck, Jr. Smith
The world is dramatically changing. How will the church respond? The evolving social and cultural landscape is creating new demands on faith and the church. Chuck Smith Jr. provides some practical strategies for seizing these new and hopeful opportunities for ministry and speaks of how we can become vital members of a new Christian movement that is being called to change the world.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/1578564026/jasonclark-21/
Truth Is Stranger Than It Used to Be: Biblical Faith in a Postmodern Age (Gospel and Culture)
Brian Walsh ,Richard Middleton
In their book, Truth is Stranger than it Used to Be, Middleton and Walsh endeavor to wrestle with Christian faith in light of our present culture. They write one of the most helpful surveys of the rise of modernity and the move to an increasingly postmodern world. The second part of the book then attempts to outline how the Christian church can potentially thrive in such a context. A really helpful and inspiring book that is again a helpful introduction to the emerging conversation.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/0281049386/jasonclark-21/
Evangelical Futures
John G. Stackhouse (Editor)
This book takes the form of a collection of essays from notable theologians. They reflect on the history and state of evangelical theological method and suggest avenues for composing theology in today’s postmodern context. The result is an effort to encourage evangelicals on to deeper and more creative discussion of their tradition and how it can meet the needs of our time. There are some great essays here, which contribute much to reconstructing a vibrant faith.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/0851114733/jasonclark-21/
Blackwell Companion to Postmodern Theology (Blackwell Companions to Religion)
WARD ,Graham Ward (Editor)
So expensive, so many pages, so many great articles, so worth getting out of the library or if you are feeling rich splashing out £85to add to your personal library. A bargain!
http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/0631212175/jasonclark-21/
Liquid Modernity
Zygmunt Bauman
Liquid Modernity addresses the shifts in some of the large social factors that define our identity and shape our relationships with one another, such as individuality, time/space, work and community. Bauman notes that the world is speeding up for some people whilst others are becoming immobilized: of what on the one hand seems to be “progress” and on the other seems to “annihilation of human care. He is very clear about the problems this causes and offers guidance about some possible ways ahead.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/0745624103/jasonclark-21/
The Remaking of Evangelical Theology
Gary Dorrien
For those who want a history of modern evangelicalism you could not find a better study than The Remaking of Evangelical Theology by Gary Dorrien. This is an in-depth historical analysis of evangelical theology, Dorrien describes how evangelicalism has developed and matured. Beginning at the turn of the 20th century and the start of the fundamentalist-modernist controversies, he notes the key figures and institutions of the evangelical movement.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/0664258034/jasonclark-21/
Ecclesiology
Good News in Exile: Three Pastors Offer a Hopeful Vision for the Church
Martin B. Copenhaver, Anthony B. Robinson, and William H. Willimon
The church in the West no longer enjoys the privileged and status it once did. Walter Brueggemann likens this existence to that of Israel in exile. This time of exile would indeed be “bad news” if we did not remember that God already has considerable experience in working powerfully among those who are in exile. As the history of Israel demonstrates, a time of exile can be particularly rich and fertile. There is opportunity in relinquishment. The authors explore how the Christian community can indeed flourish in such circumstances. This is a seriously good book!
http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/0802846041/jasonclark-21
Liquid Church
Pete Ward
This book paints a picture for how the church can embrace the liquid nature of culture rather than just scrambling to keep afloat while sailing over it. The church must be like water – flexible, fluid, changeable, able to adapt to a forever evolving culture. Ward’s book is a provocative read, and a helpful contribution to an important topic.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/184227161X/jasonclark-21/
A Peculiar People
Rodney Clapp
In our individualistic, technologically oriented, consumer-based culture, Christianity has become largely irrelevant. Clapp argues that the solution is not retrench and bury our heads in the sand. What is needed is for Christians to reclaim our heritage as a peculiar people, as unapologetic followers of The Way.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/0830819908/jasonclark-21/
Resident Aliens: Life in the Christian Colony
Stanley; Willimon, William H. Hauerwas
In this bold and visionary book, two leading Christian thinkers explore the alien status of Christians in today’s world. A provocative Christian assessment of culture and ministry. A great contribution to this conversation.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/0687361591/jasonclark-21/
A Community of Character
Stanley Hauerwas
This is one of Hauerwas’ best contributions to the conversation about narrative theology and community formation. Here, he applies his theory of the narrative formation of Christian character to the field of social ethics by showing why any consideration of the truth of Christian convictions cannot be divorced from the kind of community the church is and should be.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/0268007357/jasonclark-21/
A Churchless Faith
Alan Jamieson
Jamison draws on his doctoral studies to provide church leaders with fresh insight into the changing culture and some of the reasons why people are leaving churches. Jamison argues that for many the reason they leave the church has to do with them growing in their faith rather than death, and they try and go it alone. In a changing culture, Jamison believes that many of your leavers are your congregations pioneers into new spiritual territory.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/0281054657/jasonclark-21/
The Emerging Church: Vintage Christianity for New Generations
Dan A. Kimball
Churches are noticing less and less emerging generations in their midst. This book explores the cultural changes impacting churches and offers practical advice of how they can creatively reach emerging generations. Some of the “spiritual” things that were removed from churches are the very things that post-Christian generations are connecting with and find attractive in a church.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/0310245648/jasonclark-21/
Stories of Emergence: Moving from Absolute to Authentic Michael Yaconelli ,Mike Yaconelli (Editor)
Imagine coming to a crossroads where you’re no longer sure who you are, why you do what you do, why you believe the way you do. You’re not even sure you care. Where do you go? (For some of you that’s not too hard to imagine.) This is a book of stories about people who have transitioned from one world to another and speak about the things they learned on the way.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/0310253861/jasonclark-21/
The Next Christendom: The Coming of Global Christianity
Philip Jenkins
This book explores the changing face of Christianity around the world. Jenkins looks at how the epicenter of growth has shifted to the Southern Hemisphere. By 2050 only one Christian in five will be a non-Latino white person. As well as shifting geography, there is an accompanying change of emphasis with regard to spirituality. Jenkins projects into the future and looks at some of the ways this might play out on a global playing field.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/0195146166/jasonclark-21/
The Prodigal Project
Michael Riddell , Mark Pierson ,Cathy Kirkpatrick
Why are Christians across the Western world leaving the church in such alarming numbers? Could it be that God is using discontent to nudge us towards change? The Prodigal Project argues that we need to revitalize our worship, our spirituality and our theology if the church is to remain faithful in the third millennium. The book comes with an interactive CD ROM.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/0281052506/jasonclark-21/
Congregation, Stories and Structures
James F. Hopewell
This really is a book that was way before its time. Published in 1987, Hopewell explores the congregation and the shape of the local church as a narrative community gathered in a time and place. The book is difficult to come by but is excellent and well worth trying to get hold of.
Pages: 219
http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/0800619560/jasonclark-21/
Planting New Churches in a Postmodern Age
Ed Stetzer
Planting New Churches in a Postmodern Age is an instruction book for planting biblically faithful and culturally relevant churches. It addresses the “how-to” and “why” issues of church planting by providing practical guidance through all the phases of a church plant with a missional look at existing and emerging churches.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/0805427309/jasonclark-21/
The Shaping of Things to Come: Innovation and Mission for the 2lst Century Church
Michael Frost , Alan Hirsch
This is a book about the Church’s mission in a Western context where many are disillusioned with the shape of the church and yet immense spiritual openness. The authors explore the ways in which the church in the west needs to recalibrate itself, rebuilding itself from the roots up. Using many case studies as a springboard for their theory, they provide examples of what the church can be and what it needs to become if it is to flourish in the 21st century.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/1565636597/jasonclark-21/
[no picture available]
Decoding the Church: Mapping the DNA of Christ’s Body
Howard A. Snyder , Daniel V. Runyon
Using the genetic code as a model, Decoding the Church focuses upon the mission of today’s church, providing theological analysis, biblical principles and practical applications for how we can effectively transform the world.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/080109142X/jasonclark-21/
The Younger Evangelicals: Facing the Challenges of the New World
Robert E. Webber
Possibly one of the most helpful books around at the moment that articulates the challenges that confront an emerging generation of leaders. This book does a great job of surveying the shape of ministry and Christian expression in a new cultural landscape.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/0801091527/jasonclark-21/
Postmodern Pilgrims: First Century Passion for the 21st Century World
Leonard Sweet
Tired of the old world? Then welcome yourself aboard Captain Sweet’s ship as he leads a voyage to the New World. Tantalizingly written as always, Sweet wields his words with creative mastery, synthesizing the old and the new with harmonic brilliance. A fun and fantastic read.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/0805421378/jasonclark-21/
Aquachurch: Essential Leadership Arts for Piloting Your Church in Today’s Fluid Culture
Leonard Sweet
Tailored especially for the local church pastor, this book weaves traditional leadership arts such as vision and teamwork with the new challenges of a postmodern world. Sweet’s creative brilliance is nearly drowning at times, but the master metaphor of the high seas, sailing, and orienteering will keep rocking your boat for months to come.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/0764421514/jasonclark-21/
A is for Abductive: The Language of the Emerging Church
Leonard Sweet , Jerry Haselmayer , Brian D. McLaren
Just when you hated the stale stock of evangelical clichés, these three gurus spot us a new dictionary to replace the old one we already chucked in the bin. So if you’re sick of the monotony of the modern language game, you have no choice but to join the fun by learning how to play the postmodern one.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/0310243564/jasonclark-21/
Transforming Mission: Paradigm Shifts in the Theology of Mission (American Society of Missiology Series)
David J. Bosch
A landmark book to say the least, “comprehensive” is the word this book evokes. Bosch redefines missiology from nearly every angle, and leaves you wondering how we all got it so wrong. Great for scholars yet intriguing and accessible for everyone else.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/0883447193/jasonclark-21/
The Connecting Church: Beyond Small Groups to Authentic Community
Dallas Willard (Foreword), Randy Frazee
This one will leave you salivating for the kind of church he describes; very practical strategies for developing a culture of community in your local setting. Frazee is a great writer who weds fun ideas and easy reading.ff
http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/0310233089/jasonclark-21/
The Contemplative Pastor: Returning to the Art of Spiritual Direction
Eugene H. Peterson
This is a book that every pastor would do well to read. Known to many as “a pastor’s pastor,’ Eugene Peterson offers wisdom and refreshing words to pastors caught in the busyness of preaching, teaching and “running the church”. Peterson helps us to reorientate ourselves as we reflect on the true vocation of a pastor.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/0802801145/jasonclark-21/
The Gospel in a Pluralist Society
Lesslie Newbigin
Newbigin’s book has become a standard text for missiologists, theological students and church leaders the world over. This book grapples with the question of ‘What is the Christian message in a society marked by religious pluralism, ethnic diversity, and cultural relativism?’ Newbigin provides a brilliant analysis of contemporary culture and suggests how Christians can more confidently affirm their faith in such a context.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/0802804268/jasonclark-21/
The Continuing Conversion of the Church
Darrell Guder
Guder weaves biblical theology into the tangled mess of common church problems to create a tapestry of the kingdom of God which is both beautiful and compelling. Definitely a book for those interested in detailed ecclesiology and only for those willing to renovate their view of what the church could and should be.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/080284703X/jasonclark-21/
Discipleship
Dangerous Wonder: The Adventure of Childlike Faith
Mike Yaconelli
This book made me cry! A wonderfully written book full of evocative stories and an incredible messag about aquiring a faith that is full of joy and freedom,. Dangerous Wonder is a book that invites you to recapture the joy of being a child and apply it to your relationship with God. An absolute must read.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/1576831280/jasonclark-21/
The Cost of Discipleship
Dietrich Bonhoeffer
The Cost of Discipleship focuses on the Sermon on the Mount with its call to discipleship, and on the grace of God and the sacrifice which that demands. A timeless book that will speak to many generations. A classic in its own right, the book is certainly bigger than its legend.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/0334028566/jasonclark-21/
The Divine Conspiracy: Rediscovering Our Hidden Life in God
Dallas Willard
What is Christian discipleship? In this book Dallas Willard offers a fresh hearing for Jesus and his revolutionary message. This is simply phenomenal. Probably the most complete and accessible redefinitions of authentic Christianity in recent history. The Divine Conspiracy is a life changing exploration of God’s Kingdom and its powerful presence in daily life.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/0006281141/jasonclark-21/
Renovation of the Heart: Putting on the Character of Christ
Dallas Willard
Renovation of the Heart is a book about growing into the character of Christ through a transformed spirit. Willard describes this transformation as a divine process that “brings every element in our being, working from inside out, into harmony with the will of God or the kingdom of God.” In the transformation of our spirits, we become apprentices of Jesus Christ.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/1576832961/jasonclark-21/
The Spirit of the Disciplines: Understanding How God Changes Lives
Dallas Willard
Willard builds on Richard Foster’s Celebration of Discipline by looking at the theology behind the spiritual habits. Though sometimes hard to fully digest, the book more than rewards the persistent reader with a feast of useful teaching and inspiration. Prayer, solitude, silence, sacrificial living, meditation on God’s word and service to others. Willard explains why these disciplines work and how their practice brings life in all its fullness.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/0060694424/jasonclark-21/
Messy Spirituality: Christianity for the Rest of Us (Hodder Christian Books)
Mike Yaconelli
In Messy Spirituality, Mike Yaconelli helps us to take a fresh look at spirituality by dispelling some of the urban myths the surround the subject and to define another way of being spiritual. He shows us how Jesus’ take on spirituality is often at odds with what we have too often made it.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/0340756357/jasonclark-21/
A Long Obedience in the Same Direction: Discipleship in an Instant Society
Eugene Peterson
Eugene Peterson explores the songs of ascents (Psalm 120-134) which were the songs the Israelites sung as they journeyed up to Jerusalem to the high festivals. Drawing from the text principles for Christian discipleship he shows us how journeying towards God as a life of pilgrimage is no quick answer but instead a long obedience in the same direction.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/0830822577/jasonclark-21/
Emergent/YS Titles
The Search to Belong: Rethinking Intimacy, Community, and Small Groups (Emergent YS Series)
Joseph R.Myers
The Search to Belong is a practical guide for pastors and church leaders who struggle with building community in a culture that values belonging over believing. Myers’ book comes as a result of a long journey of experience in the world of relationships and personal development. His insights are insightful and compelling. This is a great resource for all those journeying across the tricky terrain of fostering deep community.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/0310255007/jasonclark-21/
The Church in Emerging Culture: Five Perspectives (Emergent YS Series)
Brian D. McLaren (Contributor), Erwin Raphael McManus (Contributor), Leonard Sweet (Editor)
Just looking at the list of contributors should be enough to make you want to pick this book up and read it. What should the church look like today? What should be the focus of its message? How should it present that message? This book explores these crucial questions. This book is immensely thought provoking and will be helpful for anyone exploring similar territory.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/0310254876/jasonclark-21/
The Church on the Other Side: Doing Ministry in the Postmodern Matrix
Brian D. McLaren
As the title suggests, this book attempts to help church leaders rethink faith in a postmodern context. Brian McLaren heads straight to the heart of the question that so many church leaders are asking, “What is the church of tomorrow going to look like?” McLaren takes a look at where the church is at, where the people we need to reach are at, and ways in which that gap can be filled. McLaren makes some cutting edge observations that every pastor will inevitably have to face. A really helpful and stimulating read.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/0310237076/jasonclark-21/
Finding Faith: A Self-Discovery Guide for Your Spiritual Quest
Brian D. McLaren
Real faith isn’t blind believism. It is a process that engages your intellect as well as your emotions.
Finding Faith aims to help spiritual seekers progress through their spiritual search by confronting questions—in non-Christian language—about God, the nature of faith, truth, and religious life. This book could act as a great launch pad for conversation.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/0310225426/jasonclark-21/
More Ready Than You Realize: Evangelism as Dance in the Postmodern Matrix
Brian D. McLaren
This is not a book about evangelistic techniques, it is a book that tries to redefine the very essence of what evangelism is and how we live listening lives in a postmodern context. McLaren presents a vision of spiritual friendship that is authentically Christ like, genuine and which values and respects people who are on a spiritual journey.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/0310239648/jasonclark-21/
A New Kind of Christian: A Take of Two Friends on a Spiritual Journey
Brian D. McLaren
Brian McLaren
http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/078795599X/jasonclark-21/
Adventures in Missing the Point: How the Culture-Controlled Church Neutered the Gospel
Brian D. McLaren ,Donald Clarke ,Tony Campolo
http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/0310253845/jasonclark-21/
The Story We Find Ourselves In: Further Adventures of a New Kind of Christian
Brian D. McLaren
http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/0787963879/jasonclark-21/
Oasis Titles
What Every Volunteer Youth Worker Should Know
Danny Brierley
http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/1850785414/jasonclark-21/
Connect!: Your Place in the Globalised World
Tony Campolo (Foreword), Tim Jeffery, Steve Chalke
http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/1850784825/jasonclark-21/
Joined Up
Danny Brierley
http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/1850784833/jasonclark-21/
Growing Community
Danny Brierley
http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/1850784841/jasonclark-21/
Faithworks: Intimacy and Involvement
Steve Chalke
http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/184291118X/jasonclark-21/
Other Recommended
Sex, Economy, Freedom and Community: Eight Essays
Wendell Berry
http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/0679756515/jasonclark-21/
GenX Religion
Richard W. Flory and Donald E. Miller
GENX Relgion is a collection of essays that look at the eclectic, innovative, and often unconventional spirituality of Generation X. Lots to think about here!
Pages: 257
http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/0415925711/jasonclark-21/
The McDonaldization of the Church
John Drane
http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/0232522596/jasonclark-21/
Planting New Churches in a Postmodern Age
Ed Stetzer
http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/0805427309/jasonclark-21/
The Shaping of Things to Come: Innovation and Mission for the 2lst Century Church
Michael Frost and Alan Hirsch
http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/1565636597/jasonclark-21/ [no picture available]
Postmodern Youth Ministry: Exploring Cultural Shift, Creating Holistic Connections, Cultivating Authentic Community
Tony Jones
http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/031023817X/jasonclark-21/
Ancient-Future Faith: Rethinking Evangelicalism for a Postmodern World
Robert E. Webber
http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/080106029X/jasonclark-21/
Other Cool Books We Like
Awed to Heaven, Rooted in Earth: Prayers of Walter Brueggemann
Walter Brueggemann
http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/0800636104/jasonclark-21/
Theology of the Old Testament: Testimony, Dispute, Advocacy
Walter Brueggemann
http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/0800630874/jasonclark-21/
Jesus and the Victory of God: Christian Origins and the Question of God (Christian Origins and the Question of God)
N.T. Wright
http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/0281047170/jasonclark-21
Beyond Foundationalism: Shaping Theology in a Postmodern Context
Stanley Grenz ,John Franke
Beyond Foundationailsm is a book that attempts to reshape our theological method in a post-foudationalist context. Although the concept of foundationalism may seem to be abstract to many its implications are seen and felt all around us – in the way people construct and act upon their beliefs. Grenz and Franke explain the subject well and speak of what is “beyond foundationalism”, of a faith that is colourful, creative and makes sense in a changing world. A great primer for this emerging conversation.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/0664257690/jasonclark-21/
Epistemology: Becoming Intellectually Virtuous
W. Jay Wood
This book is an absolute gem, and a must read for people trying to navigate post-modern culture. Jay Wood does an excellent job of introducing areas of philosophy, including foundationalism. Jay Wood attempts to speak about the way in which ethics and character should affect the way in which we construct belief. A stimulating read, and essential thinking in a time when constructing belief has often become disconnected from virtue.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/0877845220/jasonclark-21/
Beyond Liberalism and Fundamentalism: How Modern and Postmodern Philosophy Set the Theological Agenda
Nancey Murphy
Beyond Liberalism and Fundamentalism has become a standard text when considering the way in which modernity and a foundationalist epistemology has shaped the Protestant Church in the West. Murphy explains how both Liberal and Fundamental forms of Protestantism have emerged over time and shows us how they are both out workings of a similar philosophical framework. Murphy then proceeds to talk about where theology is heading, how the rules have changed and the opportunities that this presents to us.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/1563381761/jasonclark-21/
The Truth About the Truth
Walter Truett Anderson
This is a comprehensive starter pack into the world of postmodern thinking. The book comes in 4-part book that will certainly prove useful as a primer. Part one and two sets out to define and to explain vocabulary. Part three deals with the construction of self. Part four takes on a more big picture look (globalization) and closes with the positive side of postmodern discourse.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/0874778018/jasonclark-21/
The End of the World as We Know It: Clear Direction for Bold and Innovative Ministry in a Postmodern World
Chuck, Jr. Smith
The world is dramatically changing. How will the church respond? The evolving social and cultural landscape is creating new demands on faith and the church. Chuck Smith Jr. provides some practical strategies for seizing these new and hopeful opportunities for ministry and speaks of how we can become vital members of a new Christian movement that is being called to change the world.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/1578564026/jasonclark-21/
Truth Is Stranger Than It Used to Be: Biblical Faith in a Postmodern Age (Gospel and Culture)
Brian Walsh ,Richard Middleton
In their book, Truth is Stranger than it Used to Be, Middleton and Walsh endeavor to wrestle with Christian faith in light of our present culture. They write one of the most helpful surveys of the rise of modernity and the move to an increasingly postmodern world. The second part of the book then attempts to outline how the Christian church can potentially thrive in such a context. A really helpful and inspiring book that is again a helpful introduction to the emerging conversation.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/0281049386/jasonclark-21/
Evangelical Futures
John G. Stackhouse (Editor)
This book takes the form of a collection of essays from notable theologians. They reflect on the history and state of evangelical theological method and suggest avenues for composing theology in today’s postmodern context. The result is an effort to encourage evangelicals on to deeper and more creative discussion of their tradition and how it can meet the needs of our time. There are some great essays here, which contribute much to reconstructing a vibrant faith.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/0851114733/jasonclark-21/
Blackwell Companion to Postmodern Theology (Blackwell Companions to Religion)
WARD ,Graham Ward (Editor)
So expensive, so many pages, so many great articles, so worth getting out of the library or if you are feeling rich splashing out £85to add to your personal library. A bargain!
http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/0631212175/jasonclark-21/
Liquid Modernity
Zygmunt Bauman
Liquid Modernity addresses the shifts in some of the large social factors that define our identity and shape our relationships with one another, such as individuality, time/space, work and community. Bauman notes that the world is speeding up for some people whilst others are becoming immobilized: of what on the one hand seems to be “progress” and on the other seems to “annihilation of human care. He is very clear about the problems this causes and offers guidance about some possible ways ahead.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/0745624103/jasonclark-21/
The Remaking of Evangelical Theology
Gary Dorrien
For those who want a history of modern evangelicalism you could not find a better study than The Remaking of Evangelical Theology by Gary Dorrien. This is an in-depth historical analysis of evangelical theology, Dorrien describes how evangelicalism has developed and matured. Beginning at the turn of the 20th century and the start of the fundamentalist-modernist controversies, he notes the key figures and institutions of the evangelical movement.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/0664258034/jasonclark-21/
Ecclesiology
Good News in Exile: Three Pastors Offer a Hopeful Vision for the Church
Martin B. Copenhaver, Anthony B. Robinson, and William H. Willimon
The church in the West no longer enjoys the privileged and status it once did. Walter Brueggemann likens this existence to that of Israel in exile. This time of exile would indeed be “bad news” if we did not remember that God already has considerable experience in working powerfully among those who are in exile. As the history of Israel demonstrates, a time of exile can be particularly rich and fertile. There is opportunity in relinquishment. The authors explore how the Christian community can indeed flourish in such circumstances. This is a seriously good book!
http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/0802846041/jasonclark-21
Liquid Church
Pete Ward
This book paints a picture for how the church can embrace the liquid nature of culture rather than just scrambling to keep afloat while sailing over it. The church must be like water – flexible, fluid, changeable, able to adapt to a forever evolving culture. Ward’s book is a provocative read, and a helpful contribution to an important topic.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/184227161X/jasonclark-21/
A Peculiar People
Rodney Clapp
In our individualistic, technologically oriented, consumer-based culture, Christianity has become largely irrelevant. Clapp argues that the solution is not retrench and bury our heads in the sand. What is needed is for Christians to reclaim our heritage as a peculiar people, as unapologetic followers of The Way.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/0830819908/jasonclark-21/
Resident Aliens: Life in the Christian Colony
Stanley; Willimon, William H. Hauerwas
In this bold and visionary book, two leading Christian thinkers explore the alien status of Christians in today’s world. A provocative Christian assessment of culture and ministry. A great contribution to this conversation.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/0687361591/jasonclark-21/
A Community of Character
Stanley Hauerwas
This is one of Hauerwas’ best contributions to the conversation about narrative theology and community formation. Here, he applies his theory of the narrative formation of Christian character to the field of social ethics by showing why any consideration of the truth of Christian convictions cannot be divorced from the kind of community the church is and should be.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/0268007357/jasonclark-21/
A Churchless Faith
Alan Jamieson
Jamison draws on his doctoral studies to provide church leaders with fresh insight into the changing culture and some of the reasons why people are leaving churches. Jamison argues that for many the reason they leave the church has to do with them growing in their faith rather than death, and they try and go it alone. In a changing culture, Jamison believes that many of your leavers are your congregations pioneers into new spiritual territory.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/0281054657/jasonclark-21/
The Emerging Church: Vintage Christianity for New Generations
Dan A. Kimball
Churches are noticing less and less emerging generations in their midst. This book explores the cultural changes impacting churches and offers practical advice of how they can creatively reach emerging generations. Some of the “spiritual” things that were removed from churches are the very things that post-Christian generations are connecting with and find attractive in a church.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/0310245648/jasonclark-21/
Stories of Emergence: Moving from Absolute to Authentic Michael Yaconelli ,Mike Yaconelli (Editor)
Imagine coming to a crossroads where you’re no longer sure who you are, why you do what you do, why you believe the way you do. You’re not even sure you care. Where do you go? (For some of you that’s not too hard to imagine.) This is a book of stories about people who have transitioned from one world to another and speak about the things they learned on the way.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/0310253861/jasonclark-21/
The Next Christendom: The Coming of Global Christianity
Philip Jenkins
This book explores the changing face of Christianity around the world. Jenkins looks at how the epicenter of growth has shifted to the Southern Hemisphere. By 2050 only one Christian in five will be a non-Latino white person. As well as shifting geography, there is an accompanying change of emphasis with regard to spirituality. Jenkins projects into the future and looks at some of the ways this might play out on a global playing field.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/0195146166/jasonclark-21/
The Prodigal Project
Michael Riddell , Mark Pierson ,Cathy Kirkpatrick
Why are Christians across the Western world leaving the church in such alarming numbers? Could it be that God is using discontent to nudge us towards change? The Prodigal Project argues that we need to revitalize our worship, our spirituality and our theology if the church is to remain faithful in the third millennium. The book comes with an interactive CD ROM.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/0281052506/jasonclark-21/
Congregation, Stories and Structures
James F. Hopewell
This really is a book that was way before its time. Published in 1987, Hopewell explores the congregation and the shape of the local church as a narrative community gathered in a time and place. The book is difficult to come by but is excellent and well worth trying to get hold of.
Pages: 219
http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/0800619560/jasonclark-21/
Planting New Churches in a Postmodern Age
Ed Stetzer
Planting New Churches in a Postmodern Age is an instruction book for planting biblically faithful and culturally relevant churches. It addresses the “how-to” and “why” issues of church planting by providing practical guidance through all the phases of a church plant with a missional look at existing and emerging churches.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/0805427309/jasonclark-21/
The Shaping of Things to Come: Innovation and Mission for the 2lst Century Church
Michael Frost , Alan Hirsch
This is a book about the Church’s mission in a Western context where many are disillusioned with the shape of the church and yet immense spiritual openness. The authors explore the ways in which the church in the west needs to recalibrate itself, rebuilding itself from the roots up. Using many case studies as a springboard for their theory, they provide examples of what the church can be and what it needs to become if it is to flourish in the 21st century.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/1565636597/jasonclark-21/
[no picture available]
Decoding the Church: Mapping the DNA of Christ’s Body
Howard A. Snyder , Daniel V. Runyon
Using the genetic code as a model, Decoding the Church focuses upon the mission of today’s church, providing theological analysis, biblical principles and practical applications for how we can effectively transform the world.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/080109142X/jasonclark-21/
The Younger Evangelicals: Facing the Challenges of the New World
Robert E. Webber
Possibly one of the most helpful books around at the moment that articulates the challenges that confront an emerging generation of leaders. This book does a great job of surveying the shape of ministry and Christian expression in a new cultural landscape.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/0801091527/jasonclark-21/
Postmodern Pilgrims: First Century Passion for the 21st Century World
Leonard Sweet
Tired of the old world? Then welcome yourself aboard Captain Sweet’s ship as he leads a voyage to the New World. Tantalizingly written as always, Sweet wields his words with creative mastery, synthesizing the old and the new with harmonic brilliance. A fun and fantastic read.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/0805421378/jasonclark-21/
Aquachurch: Essential Leadership Arts for Piloting Your Church in Today’s Fluid Culture
Leonard Sweet
Tailored especially for the local church pastor, this book weaves traditional leadership arts such as vision and teamwork with the new challenges of a postmodern world. Sweet’s creative brilliance is nearly drowning at times, but the master metaphor of the high seas, sailing, and orienteering will keep rocking your boat for months to come.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/0764421514/jasonclark-21/
A is for Abductive: The Language of the Emerging Church
Leonard Sweet , Jerry Haselmayer , Brian D. McLaren
Just when you hated the stale stock of evangelical clichés, these three gurus spot us a new dictionary to replace the old one we already chucked in the bin. So if you’re sick of the monotony of the modern language game, you have no choice but to join the fun by learning how to play the postmodern one.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/0310243564/jasonclark-21/
Transforming Mission: Paradigm Shifts in the Theology of Mission (American Society of Missiology Series)
David J. Bosch
A landmark book to say the least, “comprehensive” is the word this book evokes. Bosch redefines missiology from nearly every angle, and leaves you wondering how we all got it so wrong. Great for scholars yet intriguing and accessible for everyone else.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/0883447193/jasonclark-21/
The Connecting Church: Beyond Small Groups to Authentic Community
Dallas Willard (Foreword), Randy Frazee
This one will leave you salivating for the kind of church he describes; very practical strategies for developing a culture of community in your local setting. Frazee is a great writer who weds fun ideas and easy reading.ff
http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/0310233089/jasonclark-21/
The Contemplative Pastor: Returning to the Art of Spiritual Direction
Eugene H. Peterson
This is a book that every pastor would do well to read. Known to many as “a pastor’s pastor,’ Eugene Peterson offers wisdom and refreshing words to pastors caught in the busyness of preaching, teaching and “running the church”. Peterson helps us to reorientate ourselves as we reflect on the true vocation of a pastor.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/0802801145/jasonclark-21/
The Gospel in a Pluralist Society
Lesslie Newbigin
Newbigin’s book has become a standard text for missiologists, theological students and church leaders the world over. This book grapples with the question of ‘What is the Christian message in a society marked by religious pluralism, ethnic diversity, and cultural relativism?’ Newbigin provides a brilliant analysis of contemporary culture and suggests how Christians can more confidently affirm their faith in such a context.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/0802804268/jasonclark-21/
The Continuing Conversion of the Church
Darrell Guder
Guder weaves biblical theology into the tangled mess of common church problems to create a tapestry of the kingdom of God which is both beautiful and compelling. Definitely a book for those interested in detailed ecclesiology and only for those willing to renovate their view of what the church could and should be.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/080284703X/jasonclark-21/
Discipleship
Dangerous Wonder: The Adventure of Childlike Faith
Mike Yaconelli
This book made me cry! A wonderfully written book full of evocative stories and an incredible messag about aquiring a faith that is full of joy and freedom,. Dangerous Wonder is a book that invites you to recapture the joy of being a child and apply it to your relationship with God. An absolute must read.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/1576831280/jasonclark-21/
The Cost of Discipleship
Dietrich Bonhoeffer
The Cost of Discipleship focuses on the Sermon on the Mount with its call to discipleship, and on the grace of God and the sacrifice which that demands. A timeless book that will speak to many generations. A classic in its own right, the book is certainly bigger than its legend.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/0334028566/jasonclark-21/
The Divine Conspiracy: Rediscovering Our Hidden Life in God
Dallas Willard
What is Christian discipleship? In this book Dallas Willard offers a fresh hearing for Jesus and his revolutionary message. This is simply phenomenal. Probably the most complete and accessible redefinitions of authentic Christianity in recent history. The Divine Conspiracy is a life changing exploration of God’s Kingdom and its powerful presence in daily life.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/0006281141/jasonclark-21/
Renovation of the Heart: Putting on the Character of Christ
Dallas Willard
Renovation of the Heart is a book about growing into the character of Christ through a transformed spirit. Willard describes this transformation as a divine process that “brings every element in our being, working from inside out, into harmony with the will of God or the kingdom of God.” In the transformation of our spirits, we become apprentices of Jesus Christ.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/1576832961/jasonclark-21/
The Spirit of the Disciplines: Understanding How God Changes Lives
Dallas Willard
Willard builds on Richard Foster’s Celebration of Discipline by looking at the theology behind the spiritual habits. Though sometimes hard to fully digest, the book more than rewards the persistent reader with a feast of useful teaching and inspiration. Prayer, solitude, silence, sacrificial living, meditation on God’s word and service to others. Willard explains why these disciplines work and how their practice brings life in all its fullness.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/0060694424/jasonclark-21/
Messy Spirituality: Christianity for the Rest of Us (Hodder Christian Books)
Mike Yaconelli
In Messy Spirituality, Mike Yaconelli helps us to take a fresh look at spirituality by dispelling some of the urban myths the surround the subject and to define another way of being spiritual. He shows us how Jesus’ take on spirituality is often at odds with what we have too often made it.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/0340756357/jasonclark-21/
A Long Obedience in the Same Direction: Discipleship in an Instant Society
Eugene Peterson
Eugene Peterson explores the songs of ascents (Psalm 120-134) which were the songs the Israelites sung as they journeyed up to Jerusalem to the high festivals. Drawing from the text principles for Christian discipleship he shows us how journeying towards God as a life of pilgrimage is no quick answer but instead a long obedience in the same direction.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/0830822577/jasonclark-21/
Emergent/YS Titles
The Search to Belong: Rethinking Intimacy, Community, and Small Groups (Emergent YS Series)
Joseph R.Myers
The Search to Belong is a practical guide for pastors and church leaders who struggle with building community in a culture that values belonging over believing. Myers’ book comes as a result of a long journey of experience in the world of relationships and personal development. His insights are insightful and compelling. This is a great resource for all those journeying across the tricky terrain of fostering deep community.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/0310255007/jasonclark-21/
The Church in Emerging Culture: Five Perspectives (Emergent YS Series)
Brian D. McLaren (Contributor), Erwin Raphael McManus (Contributor), Leonard Sweet (Editor)
Just looking at the list of contributors should be enough to make you want to pick this book up and read it. What should the church look like today? What should be the focus of its message? How should it present that message? This book explores these crucial questions. This book is immensely thought provoking and will be helpful for anyone exploring similar territory.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/0310254876/jasonclark-21/
The Church on the Other Side: Doing Ministry in the Postmodern Matrix
Brian D. McLaren
As the title suggests, this book attempts to help church leaders rethink faith in a postmodern context. Brian McLaren heads straight to the heart of the question that so many church leaders are asking, “What is the church of tomorrow going to look like?” McLaren takes a look at where the church is at, where the people we need to reach are at, and ways in which that gap can be filled. McLaren makes some cutting edge observations that every pastor will inevitably have to face. A really helpful and stimulating read.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/0310237076/jasonclark-21/
Finding Faith: A Self-Discovery Guide for Your Spiritual Quest
Brian D. McLaren
Real faith isn’t blind believism. It is a process that engages your intellect as well as your emotions.
Finding Faith aims to help spiritual seekers progress through their spiritual search by confronting questions—in non-Christian language—about God, the nature of faith, truth, and religious life. This book could act as a great launch pad for conversation.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/0310225426/jasonclark-21/
More Ready Than You Realize: Evangelism as Dance in the Postmodern Matrix
Brian D. McLaren
This is not a book about evangelistic techniques, it is a book that tries to redefine the very essence of what evangelism is and how we live listening lives in a postmodern context. McLaren presents a vision of spiritual friendship that is authentically Christ like, genuine and which values and respects people who are on a spiritual journey.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/0310239648/jasonclark-21/
A New Kind of Christian: A Take of Two Friends on a Spiritual Journey
Brian D. McLaren
Brian McLaren
http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/078795599X/jasonclark-21/
Adventures in Missing the Point: How the Culture-Controlled Church Neutered the Gospel
Brian D. McLaren ,Donald Clarke ,Tony Campolo
http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/0310253845/jasonclark-21/
The Story We Find Ourselves In: Further Adventures of a New Kind of Christian
Brian D. McLaren
http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/0787963879/jasonclark-21/
Oasis Titles
What Every Volunteer Youth Worker Should Know
Danny Brierley
http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/1850785414/jasonclark-21/
Connect!: Your Place in the Globalised World
Tony Campolo (Foreword), Tim Jeffery, Steve Chalke
http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/1850784825/jasonclark-21/
Joined Up
Danny Brierley
http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/1850784833/jasonclark-21/
Growing Community
Danny Brierley
http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/1850784841/jasonclark-21/
Faithworks: Intimacy and Involvement
Steve Chalke
http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/184291118X/jasonclark-21/
Other Recommended
Sex, Economy, Freedom and Community: Eight Essays
Wendell Berry
http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/0679756515/jasonclark-21/
GenX Religion
Richard W. Flory and Donald E. Miller
GENX Relgion is a collection of essays that look at the eclectic, innovative, and often unconventional spirituality of Generation X. Lots to think about here!
Pages: 257
http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/0415925711/jasonclark-21/
The McDonaldization of the Church
John Drane
http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/0232522596/jasonclark-21/
Planting New Churches in a Postmodern Age
Ed Stetzer
http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/0805427309/jasonclark-21/
The Shaping of Things to Come: Innovation and Mission for the 2lst Century Church
Michael Frost and Alan Hirsch
http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/1565636597/jasonclark-21/ [no picture available]
Postmodern Youth Ministry: Exploring Cultural Shift, Creating Holistic Connections, Cultivating Authentic Community
Tony Jones
http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/031023817X/jasonclark-21/
Ancient-Future Faith: Rethinking Evangelicalism for a Postmodern World
Robert E. Webber
http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/080106029X/jasonclark-21/
Other Cool Books We Like
Awed to Heaven, Rooted in Earth: Prayers of Walter Brueggemann
Walter Brueggemann
http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/0800636104/jasonclark-21/
Theology of the Old Testament: Testimony, Dispute, Advocacy
Walter Brueggemann
http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/0800630874/jasonclark-21/
Jesus and the Victory of God: Christian Origins and the Question of God (Christian Origins and the Question of God)
N.T. Wright
http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/0281047170/jasonclark-21
Living with a Purpose-Driven Life
https://www.pastors.com/article.asp?printerfriendly=1&ArtID=3839
Living with a Purpose-Driven Life
by Rick Warren
LIVING A PURPOSE DRIVEN LIFE
What does God want me to do with the rest of my life?
“Everything, absolutely everything, above and below,
visible and invisible ... everything got started in him
and finds its purpose in him.” Col. 1:16 (Msg)
Most people struggle with three basic issues in life. The first is the issue of identity: “Who am I?” The second is the issue of importance: “Do I matter?” And the third is the issue of impact: “What is my purpose in life?” Particularly as you get older, these questions begin to haunt you. The answers to all three are found in understanding God’s five reasons for creating you and putting you on earth.
God’s purpose of your life is far greater than your own personal fulfillment, your peace of mind, or even your happiness. It will last longer than your family, your career, or even your wildest dreams and ambitions. If you want to know why you were placed on this planet, you must begin with God. You were born by his purpose and for his purpose. Even Bertrand Russell, the renowned atheist admitted, ““Unless you assume a God, the question of life’s purpose is meaningless.”
The search for the purpose of life has puzzled people for thousands of years. That’s because we typically begin at the wrong starting point - ourselves. We ask self-centered questions like: What do I want to do with my life? What are my goals, my ambitions, my dreams for my future? But focusing on yourself will never reveal your life’s purpose. The Bible says, “It is God who directs the lives of his creatures; everyone's life is in his power.”
Contrary to many popular books, movies, and seminars, you won’t discover your life’s meaning by looking within yourself. You’ve probably tried that already. You didn’t create yourself so there is no way you can tell yourself what you were created for! If I handed you an invention you’d never seen before, you wouldn’t know its purpose, and the invention itself wouldn’t be able to tell you either. Only the Creator or the owner’s manual could reveal its purpose.
I once got lost in the mountains. When I stopped to ask for directions to the campsite I was told, “You can’t get there from here. You must start from the other side of the mountain!” In the same way, you cannot arrive at you life’s purpose by starting with a focus on yourself. You must begin with God, your Creator. You exist only because God wills that you exist. You were made by God and for God – and until you understand that, life will never make sense. It is only in God that we discover our origin, our identity, our meaning, our purpose, our significance, and our destiny. Every other path leads to a dead end.
So many people try to use God for their own self-actualization, but that is a reversal of nature, and is doomed to failure. You were made for God, not vice-versa, and life is about letting God use you for his purposes, not you using him for your own purpose. The Bible says, “Obsession with self in these matters is a dead end; attention to God leads us out into the open, into a spacious, free life.”
I’ve read many books that suggested ways to discover the purpose of my life. All of them could be classified as “self-help” books because they approached the subject from a self-centered viewpoint. Self-help books, even Christian ones, usually offer the same predictable steps to finding your life’s purpose: Consider your dreams. Clarify your values. Set some goals. Figure out what you are good at. Aim high. Go for it. Be disciplined. Believe you can achieve your goals. Involve others. Never give up.
Of course, these recommendations often lead to great success. You can usually succeed in reaching a goal if you put your mind to it. But being successful and fulfilling your life’s purpose are not at all the same issue! You could reach all your personal goals, becoming a raving success by the world’s standard, and still miss the purposes for which God created you.
As my good friend Bob Buford has pointed out, there is a world of difference between success and significance, so you need far more than motivational talks and self-help advice for the second half of your life. You need to know why you are alive. The Bible says, “Self-help is no help at all. Self-sacrifice is the way, my way, to finding yourself, your true self.”
How then do you discover the purpose you were created for? You only have two options. Your first option is speculation. This is what most people do. They conjecture, they guess, they theorize. When people say, “I’ve always thought life is ...” they mean “This is the best guess I can come up with.”
For thousands of years, brilliant philosophers have discussed and speculated about the meaning of life. Philosophy is an important subject and has its uses, but when it comes to determining the purpose of life, even the wisest philosophers are just guessing.
Dr. Hugh Moorhead, a philosophy professor at Northeastern Illinois University once wrote to 250 of the best know philosophers, scientists, writers, and intellectuals in the world, asking them “What is the meaning of life?” He then published their responses in a book. Some offered their best guesses, some admitted that they just made up a purpose for life, and others were honest enough to say they were clueless. In fact, a number of famous intellectuals asked Professor Moorhead to write back and tell them if he discovered the purpose of life!
Fortunately, there is an alternative to speculation about the meaning and purpose of life. It’s revelation. We can turn to what God has revealed about life in his Word. The easiest way to discover the purpose of an invention is to ask the creator of it. The same is true for discovering your life’s purpose: ask God.
God has not left us in the dark to wonder and guess. He has clearly revealed his five purposes for our lives through the Bible. It’s our Owner’s manual, explaining why we are alive, how life works, what to avoid, and what to expect in the future. It explains what no self-help or philosophy book could know. The Bible says, “God's wisdom...goes deep into the interior of his purposes... It's not the latest message, but more like the oldest—what God determined as the way to bring out his best in us....”
God is not just the starting point of your life; he is the source of it. To discover your purpose in life you must turn to God’s Word, not the world’s wisdom. You must build your life on eternal truths. The Bible says, “It's in Christ that we find out who we are and what we are living for. Long before we first heard of Christ and got our hopes up, he had his eye on us, had designs on us for glorious living, part of the overall purpose he is working out in everything and everyone.”
This verse gives three insights into your purpose.
1. You discover your identity and purpose through a relationship with Jesus Christ.
2. God was thinking of you long before you ever thought about him. His purpose for your life predates your conception. He planned it before you existed, without your input! You may choose your career, your spouse, your hobbies, and many other parts of your life, but you don’t get to choose your purpose.
3. The purpose of your life fits into a much larger, cosmic purpose that God has designed for eternity.
In the meantime, let me suggest five questions that will help you get started in thinking about God’s purposes for you. I urge you to set aside some time to seriously think about the answers to these questions. They will affect not only the rest of your life, but your eternity.
Life’s Five Greatest Questions
What will be the center of my life?
This is the question of worship. Who are you going to live for? What are you going to build your life around? You can center your life around your career, your family, a sport or hobby, money, having fun, or many other activities. These are all good things, but they don’t belong at the center of your life. None is strong enough to hold you together when life starts breaking apart. You need an unshakable center.
In the Bible, King Asa told the people of Judah to “center their lives in God.” Actually, whatever is at the center of your life is your god! If you have committed your life to Christ, he moved into the center, but you must keep him there on a day-by-day basis. How do you know when God is at the center of your life? When he’s at the center, you worship. When he’s not, you worry. Worry is the warning light that God has been shoved to the sideline of your life. The moment you put him back at the center, you’ll have peace again. The Bible says, “A sense of God's wholeness... will come and settle you down. It's wonderful what happens when Christ displaces worry at the center of your life.”
What will be the character of my life?
This is the question of discipleship. What kind of person will you be? God is far more interested in what you are than what you do because you are going to take your character into eternity, not your career. Make a list of the character qualities you want to work on and develop in your life. You might begin with the fruit of the Spirit or the Beatitudes of Jesus.
What will be the contribution of my life?
This is the question of service. Knowing your combination of spiritual gifts, heart, abilities, personality, and experiences, (your “S.H.A.P.E.”) what would be your best role and how can you make a difference? To be balanced, you need both a “ministry” to believers and a “mission” to unbelievers. You serve in both the church and the world. What will be your ministry in the Body of Christ?
While you’re shaped to serve others, even Jesus didn’t meet the needs of everyone while on earth. You have to choose who you can best help, based on your shape. You need to ask “Who do I have a desire to help most?” Jesus said, “I commissioned you to go out and to bear fruit, fruit that will last.” Each of us bears different fruit.
What will be the communication of my life?
This is the question of your mission in the world. God not only has a mission for your life, he has a unique life message that he want to say the world through you. Who needs to hear your unique story of faith? Who has God placed in your path that he would want you to share it with? If you’re a parent, part of your mission is to raise your children to know Christ, to help them understand his purposes for their lives, and to send them out on their mission in the world.
Of course, our lives must support and the message we communicate. Before most unbelievers accept the Bible is credible they want to know what we are credible. That’s why the Bible says “Be sure that you live in a way that brings honor to the Good News of Christ.”
What will be the community of my life?
This is the question of fellowship. How will you demonstrate your commitment to other believers and connection to the family of God? Where will you practice the “one another” commands with other Christians? To which church family will you be joined as a functioning member? The more you mature, the more you’ll love Christ’s Body and want to sacrifice for it. The Bible says “Christ loved the church and gave his life for it.”
What will God say?
I once heard the suggestion that you develop your life purpose statement based what you’d like other people to say about you at your funeral. Imagine your perfect eulogy then build your on that. Frankly, that’s a bad plan. At the end of your life, it isn’t going to matter at all what other people say about you. The only thing that will matter is what God says about you. The Bible says, “Our purpose is to please God, not people.”
One day, God will review your answers to these life questions:
• Did you put Jesus Christ at the center of your life?
• Did you develop his character?
• Did you devote your life to serving others?
• Did you communicate his message and fulfill his mission?
• Did you love and participate in his family, the church?
These are the only issues that will count. As Paul said, “Our goal is to measure up to God’s plan for us” This is what purpose-driven living is all about. Regardless of where you are in halftime, the rest of your life can be the best of your life, if you will start living on purpose today.
-Pastors.com-
Living with a Purpose-Driven Life
by Rick Warren
LIVING A PURPOSE DRIVEN LIFE
What does God want me to do with the rest of my life?
“Everything, absolutely everything, above and below,
visible and invisible ... everything got started in him
and finds its purpose in him.” Col. 1:16 (Msg)
Most people struggle with three basic issues in life. The first is the issue of identity: “Who am I?” The second is the issue of importance: “Do I matter?” And the third is the issue of impact: “What is my purpose in life?” Particularly as you get older, these questions begin to haunt you. The answers to all three are found in understanding God’s five reasons for creating you and putting you on earth.
God’s purpose of your life is far greater than your own personal fulfillment, your peace of mind, or even your happiness. It will last longer than your family, your career, or even your wildest dreams and ambitions. If you want to know why you were placed on this planet, you must begin with God. You were born by his purpose and for his purpose. Even Bertrand Russell, the renowned atheist admitted, ““Unless you assume a God, the question of life’s purpose is meaningless.”
The search for the purpose of life has puzzled people for thousands of years. That’s because we typically begin at the wrong starting point - ourselves. We ask self-centered questions like: What do I want to do with my life? What are my goals, my ambitions, my dreams for my future? But focusing on yourself will never reveal your life’s purpose. The Bible says, “It is God who directs the lives of his creatures; everyone's life is in his power.”
Contrary to many popular books, movies, and seminars, you won’t discover your life’s meaning by looking within yourself. You’ve probably tried that already. You didn’t create yourself so there is no way you can tell yourself what you were created for! If I handed you an invention you’d never seen before, you wouldn’t know its purpose, and the invention itself wouldn’t be able to tell you either. Only the Creator or the owner’s manual could reveal its purpose.
I once got lost in the mountains. When I stopped to ask for directions to the campsite I was told, “You can’t get there from here. You must start from the other side of the mountain!” In the same way, you cannot arrive at you life’s purpose by starting with a focus on yourself. You must begin with God, your Creator. You exist only because God wills that you exist. You were made by God and for God – and until you understand that, life will never make sense. It is only in God that we discover our origin, our identity, our meaning, our purpose, our significance, and our destiny. Every other path leads to a dead end.
So many people try to use God for their own self-actualization, but that is a reversal of nature, and is doomed to failure. You were made for God, not vice-versa, and life is about letting God use you for his purposes, not you using him for your own purpose. The Bible says, “Obsession with self in these matters is a dead end; attention to God leads us out into the open, into a spacious, free life.”
I’ve read many books that suggested ways to discover the purpose of my life. All of them could be classified as “self-help” books because they approached the subject from a self-centered viewpoint. Self-help books, even Christian ones, usually offer the same predictable steps to finding your life’s purpose: Consider your dreams. Clarify your values. Set some goals. Figure out what you are good at. Aim high. Go for it. Be disciplined. Believe you can achieve your goals. Involve others. Never give up.
Of course, these recommendations often lead to great success. You can usually succeed in reaching a goal if you put your mind to it. But being successful and fulfilling your life’s purpose are not at all the same issue! You could reach all your personal goals, becoming a raving success by the world’s standard, and still miss the purposes for which God created you.
As my good friend Bob Buford has pointed out, there is a world of difference between success and significance, so you need far more than motivational talks and self-help advice for the second half of your life. You need to know why you are alive. The Bible says, “Self-help is no help at all. Self-sacrifice is the way, my way, to finding yourself, your true self.”
How then do you discover the purpose you were created for? You only have two options. Your first option is speculation. This is what most people do. They conjecture, they guess, they theorize. When people say, “I’ve always thought life is ...” they mean “This is the best guess I can come up with.”
For thousands of years, brilliant philosophers have discussed and speculated about the meaning of life. Philosophy is an important subject and has its uses, but when it comes to determining the purpose of life, even the wisest philosophers are just guessing.
Dr. Hugh Moorhead, a philosophy professor at Northeastern Illinois University once wrote to 250 of the best know philosophers, scientists, writers, and intellectuals in the world, asking them “What is the meaning of life?” He then published their responses in a book. Some offered their best guesses, some admitted that they just made up a purpose for life, and others were honest enough to say they were clueless. In fact, a number of famous intellectuals asked Professor Moorhead to write back and tell them if he discovered the purpose of life!
Fortunately, there is an alternative to speculation about the meaning and purpose of life. It’s revelation. We can turn to what God has revealed about life in his Word. The easiest way to discover the purpose of an invention is to ask the creator of it. The same is true for discovering your life’s purpose: ask God.
God has not left us in the dark to wonder and guess. He has clearly revealed his five purposes for our lives through the Bible. It’s our Owner’s manual, explaining why we are alive, how life works, what to avoid, and what to expect in the future. It explains what no self-help or philosophy book could know. The Bible says, “God's wisdom...goes deep into the interior of his purposes... It's not the latest message, but more like the oldest—what God determined as the way to bring out his best in us....”
God is not just the starting point of your life; he is the source of it. To discover your purpose in life you must turn to God’s Word, not the world’s wisdom. You must build your life on eternal truths. The Bible says, “It's in Christ that we find out who we are and what we are living for. Long before we first heard of Christ and got our hopes up, he had his eye on us, had designs on us for glorious living, part of the overall purpose he is working out in everything and everyone.”
This verse gives three insights into your purpose.
1. You discover your identity and purpose through a relationship with Jesus Christ.
2. God was thinking of you long before you ever thought about him. His purpose for your life predates your conception. He planned it before you existed, without your input! You may choose your career, your spouse, your hobbies, and many other parts of your life, but you don’t get to choose your purpose.
3. The purpose of your life fits into a much larger, cosmic purpose that God has designed for eternity.
In the meantime, let me suggest five questions that will help you get started in thinking about God’s purposes for you. I urge you to set aside some time to seriously think about the answers to these questions. They will affect not only the rest of your life, but your eternity.
Life’s Five Greatest Questions
What will be the center of my life?
This is the question of worship. Who are you going to live for? What are you going to build your life around? You can center your life around your career, your family, a sport or hobby, money, having fun, or many other activities. These are all good things, but they don’t belong at the center of your life. None is strong enough to hold you together when life starts breaking apart. You need an unshakable center.
In the Bible, King Asa told the people of Judah to “center their lives in God.” Actually, whatever is at the center of your life is your god! If you have committed your life to Christ, he moved into the center, but you must keep him there on a day-by-day basis. How do you know when God is at the center of your life? When he’s at the center, you worship. When he’s not, you worry. Worry is the warning light that God has been shoved to the sideline of your life. The moment you put him back at the center, you’ll have peace again. The Bible says, “A sense of God's wholeness... will come and settle you down. It's wonderful what happens when Christ displaces worry at the center of your life.”
What will be the character of my life?
This is the question of discipleship. What kind of person will you be? God is far more interested in what you are than what you do because you are going to take your character into eternity, not your career. Make a list of the character qualities you want to work on and develop in your life. You might begin with the fruit of the Spirit or the Beatitudes of Jesus.
What will be the contribution of my life?
This is the question of service. Knowing your combination of spiritual gifts, heart, abilities, personality, and experiences, (your “S.H.A.P.E.”) what would be your best role and how can you make a difference? To be balanced, you need both a “ministry” to believers and a “mission” to unbelievers. You serve in both the church and the world. What will be your ministry in the Body of Christ?
While you’re shaped to serve others, even Jesus didn’t meet the needs of everyone while on earth. You have to choose who you can best help, based on your shape. You need to ask “Who do I have a desire to help most?” Jesus said, “I commissioned you to go out and to bear fruit, fruit that will last.” Each of us bears different fruit.
What will be the communication of my life?
This is the question of your mission in the world. God not only has a mission for your life, he has a unique life message that he want to say the world through you. Who needs to hear your unique story of faith? Who has God placed in your path that he would want you to share it with? If you’re a parent, part of your mission is to raise your children to know Christ, to help them understand his purposes for their lives, and to send them out on their mission in the world.
Of course, our lives must support and the message we communicate. Before most unbelievers accept the Bible is credible they want to know what we are credible. That’s why the Bible says “Be sure that you live in a way that brings honor to the Good News of Christ.”
What will be the community of my life?
This is the question of fellowship. How will you demonstrate your commitment to other believers and connection to the family of God? Where will you practice the “one another” commands with other Christians? To which church family will you be joined as a functioning member? The more you mature, the more you’ll love Christ’s Body and want to sacrifice for it. The Bible says “Christ loved the church and gave his life for it.”
What will God say?
I once heard the suggestion that you develop your life purpose statement based what you’d like other people to say about you at your funeral. Imagine your perfect eulogy then build your on that. Frankly, that’s a bad plan. At the end of your life, it isn’t going to matter at all what other people say about you. The only thing that will matter is what God says about you. The Bible says, “Our purpose is to please God, not people.”
One day, God will review your answers to these life questions:
• Did you put Jesus Christ at the center of your life?
• Did you develop his character?
• Did you devote your life to serving others?
• Did you communicate his message and fulfill his mission?
• Did you love and participate in his family, the church?
These are the only issues that will count. As Paul said, “Our goal is to measure up to God’s plan for us” This is what purpose-driven living is all about. Regardless of where you are in halftime, the rest of your life can be the best of your life, if you will start living on purpose today.
-Pastors.com-
What’s a quiet time?
https://www.pastors.com/article.asp?printerfriendly=1&ArtID=4101
Inside Saddleback: What’s a quiet time?
by Todd Wendorff
Every relationship takes time to develop. You have to spend time with someone to take that relationship deeper. It’s no different with our relationship with the Lord. Spend time with Him. There is just no other way.
That’s why we encourage every believer to develop the habit of a daily time with God. As simply as I know how to put it, a quiet time is time alone with Lord. If we do not spend time cultivating that one-on-one relationship with Him, we will eventually feel spiritually disconnected from Him, out of touch, restless, dissatisfied and unfulfilled. After a while we will begin drifting away and no longer be influenced by His presence in our lives.
The fact is we all desire a closeness with God but often aren’t experiencing it simply because we aren’t spending time with Him. After a while we say to ourselves, “I’m the same old person I’ve always been.” “I’m not changing.” “My relationship with the Lord is stale and stagnant.”
That’s why each day we need to set aside time to spend with the Lord in Bible reading and prayer in order to deepen our knowledge and love for Him that will result in real life change.
When I find myself worrying, it’s an indication that I am not spending time with the Lord.
When I find my mind wandering or my heart hardening to the things of God, it’s again, an indication that I am not spending time with the Lord.
The primary goal as growing Christians is to become “conformed to His likeness” (Rom. 8:29). Another word for conformed is “transformation” which means “life change from the inside out.” We can change a behavior or an attitude on the outside, but to change on the inside takes inner transformation. Whatever is going on in your heart will be mirrored by your actions. No one can fake it for long. To change the inside takes a deeper relationship with the Lord. What we also desire for is congruence. We don’t want to live one way in public and another way in private. It takes time with the Lord to bring these two into more alignment and consistency.
Roman 12:1-2 reveals that the only way to be transformed is to read, study and reflect on the word of God. The two primary elements that are used to accomplish this are Bible reading and prayer. I have written the following guide to help motivate you and give you the tools you need to begin implementing a quiet time into your daily schedule.
One author says, “In practice we often find ourselves to be “thirsty” Christians: either because we are failing to drink or because God is stretching our capacity for Himself and we need to drink more deeply.”
If you find yourself restless, dissatisfied, and unfulfilled, it’s because you are not regularly drinking in God’s word or you are not going deep enough in the well. So I encourage you to use this guide and begin to spend regular time with God and drink deeply.
“But whoever drinks of the water that I will give him shall never thirst; but the water that I will give him will become in him a well of water springing up to eternal life." John 4:14 (NASB-U)
“My soul waits in silence for God only; From Him is my salvation. He only is my rock and my salvation, My stronghold; I shall not be greatly shaken.” Ps 62:1-2 (NASU)
“As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, O God.” Ps 42:1 (NIV)
"The one who looks steadily at God´s perfect law…and makes that law his HABIT - not listening and then forgetting, but actively putting it into practice will be happy in all that he does." James 1:25 (Ph)
"But his delight is in the law of the LORD, and on his law he meditates day and night." Ps 1:2 (NIV)
Inside Saddleback: What’s a quiet time?
by Todd Wendorff
Every relationship takes time to develop. You have to spend time with someone to take that relationship deeper. It’s no different with our relationship with the Lord. Spend time with Him. There is just no other way.
That’s why we encourage every believer to develop the habit of a daily time with God. As simply as I know how to put it, a quiet time is time alone with Lord. If we do not spend time cultivating that one-on-one relationship with Him, we will eventually feel spiritually disconnected from Him, out of touch, restless, dissatisfied and unfulfilled. After a while we will begin drifting away and no longer be influenced by His presence in our lives.
The fact is we all desire a closeness with God but often aren’t experiencing it simply because we aren’t spending time with Him. After a while we say to ourselves, “I’m the same old person I’ve always been.” “I’m not changing.” “My relationship with the Lord is stale and stagnant.”
That’s why each day we need to set aside time to spend with the Lord in Bible reading and prayer in order to deepen our knowledge and love for Him that will result in real life change.
When I find myself worrying, it’s an indication that I am not spending time with the Lord.
When I find my mind wandering or my heart hardening to the things of God, it’s again, an indication that I am not spending time with the Lord.
The primary goal as growing Christians is to become “conformed to His likeness” (Rom. 8:29). Another word for conformed is “transformation” which means “life change from the inside out.” We can change a behavior or an attitude on the outside, but to change on the inside takes inner transformation. Whatever is going on in your heart will be mirrored by your actions. No one can fake it for long. To change the inside takes a deeper relationship with the Lord. What we also desire for is congruence. We don’t want to live one way in public and another way in private. It takes time with the Lord to bring these two into more alignment and consistency.
Roman 12:1-2 reveals that the only way to be transformed is to read, study and reflect on the word of God. The two primary elements that are used to accomplish this are Bible reading and prayer. I have written the following guide to help motivate you and give you the tools you need to begin implementing a quiet time into your daily schedule.
One author says, “In practice we often find ourselves to be “thirsty” Christians: either because we are failing to drink or because God is stretching our capacity for Himself and we need to drink more deeply.”
If you find yourself restless, dissatisfied, and unfulfilled, it’s because you are not regularly drinking in God’s word or you are not going deep enough in the well. So I encourage you to use this guide and begin to spend regular time with God and drink deeply.
“But whoever drinks of the water that I will give him shall never thirst; but the water that I will give him will become in him a well of water springing up to eternal life." John 4:14 (NASB-U)
“My soul waits in silence for God only; From Him is my salvation. He only is my rock and my salvation, My stronghold; I shall not be greatly shaken.” Ps 62:1-2 (NASU)
“As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, O God.” Ps 42:1 (NIV)
"The one who looks steadily at God´s perfect law…and makes that law his HABIT - not listening and then forgetting, but actively putting it into practice will be happy in all that he does." James 1:25 (Ph)
"But his delight is in the law of the LORD, and on his law he meditates day and night." Ps 1:2 (NIV)
SUMMARY: The Disciplined Life The Mark of Christian Maturity
https://www.pastors.com/article.asp?ArtID=4046
Book Summary:The Disciplined Life The Mark of Christian Maturity By Richard S. Taylor
by Paul Monteith
5 Purposes
• Worship
• Fellowship
Discipleship
• Ministry
• Evangelism
Jesus pleased "not himself." The apostle Paul "kept his body under" control. And Moses refused the pleasures of Pharaoh's court. Self-discipline is what we all need, and it can make all the difference between success and failure spiritually. Our willingness to regulate our own lives is a sign of maturity, and it is necessary if we are to take up our cross and be like Christ. Christian discipline is not about abstinence but rather about being temperate in all things so that we can be more useful to God. It is an aid in our pursuit of holiness, and under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, discipline will help us become the people God meant us to be.
Personal Comment
What I Learned From this Book:
Discipline is not about denying ourselves for the sake of denying ourselves; discipline is about readying ourselves for service and usefulness to God.
The Place Of Discipline In Christian Living
The Key To Power
Whatever we do in life, such as learning a new skill or acquiring further education, the difference between mediocrity and excellence in our endeavor is discipline. Most people have the necessary talents to achieve their goals yet fail not for lack of ability but for being unwilling to make the necessary sacrifices.
The author claims that the difference between the disciplined and undisciplined person is habit, and "habit is character."
Discipline of the mind is important. Such a person is able to concentrate on essentials, use his abilities more effectively, and face life and its disappointments with calm and purpose. The race belongs to the disciplined.
An anecdote about a woman, whose life of habitual discipline helped her through a time of sickness, can be found on page 24.
An anecdote about a famous baritone who succeeded because he was willing to make the necessary sacrifices, page 27.
The Mark Of Maturity
Self-discipline is the ability to control our conduct, and it helps to block personal impulses, peer pressure, and social customs from influencing our conduct.
A person exercising self-discipline is better able to control his appetites, emotions, moods, and tongue. This life of balance and grace is achieved not through drastic actions but by consistent daily discipline over the regular tasks that make up our everyday lives. Such a person is able to choose between what is important and what is not from among the many possibilities and activities pressing for his attention.
Discipline for Christians means discipleship. Following Jesus means self-denial and carrying one's cross. The apostle Paul tells us to "put to death the old man," with its appetites if we are to grow spiritually. Jesus tells us to "pluck out" anything that prevents us from obeying God. This plucking out requires discipline and courage.
"I have had a cross to bear in my life, and it has made me the man that I am," said Dr. F. B. Meyer.
The Perils Of Discipline
Discipline has value; it gives a person confidence, strength and control. This mastery over our lives may lead us to believe that discipline is the ultimate value, and instead of it being our servant discipline becomes our savior.
For the Christian such thinking is deadly. Self-mastery may lead to feelings of self-satisfaction. We may come to believe we are superior to others. We may become exacting and harsh in our relationships. And we may deny ourselves the joys and experiences of life that God intended us to enjoy.
A right relationship with God is the greatest treasure of all, not discipline, states the author. Discipline is only a tool to help us more fully realize the supreme values of Christ's kingdom. The goal of discipline must be usefulness. People are important, and the objective of self-discipline must be in helping people.
The hallmark of Christian discipline is not abstinence, nor slavish bondage to habit, or strictness with others, but temperance in all things. Christians discipline and dedicate themselves to God for service.
Discipline and Holiness
Discipline is not holiness. One can live a disciplined life and not think about God at all, whereas God is ever in the thoughts of a Christian pursing holiness.
Holiness defines one's relationship with God.
Discipline is an aid that will help maintain holiness but it cannot create a clean heart. It is not the path to purity, and it is no substitute for the grace of God.
Christians living in God's grace will find themselves motivated by the Holy Spirit to live purposely and orderly. With humility they will adjust their lives, learning how to deny the self and bring under tribute their intellect, emotions and talents. Such discipline leads us to surrender and this glorifies God not self.
God's grace also gives us the power to sustain discipline; it helps us to continue to deny self when our very nature cries out for an easier path. Holy living is devoted living, and discipline helps us subject the physical to the spiritual.
The Case For Imposed Discipline
A lack of restraints does not produce better citizens. Undisciplined children become undisciplined adults. Rigid discipline does not produce healthy people either. There must be a balance between liberty and law.
Balanced discipline whether imposed by others or proscribed by self will produce qualities such as self-reliance, self-control and dependability.
Parental discipline administered lovingly should develop clear ideas of justice and fair play, and a regard for standards and laws. Christians living a disciplined life will express a love for people and God, have a sense of social responsibility, exhibit a high regard for human life and decency, and express warmth, loyalty and sacrifice. These are character traits of mature and useful people.
A disciplined life adapts, and when obstacles appear it patiently finds a way around, controlling the feelings of frustration, seeking to bring forth beauty rather than ugliness. “Self-control keeps life from being a nightmare.”
The Path to Discipline in Christian Living
How To Become A Disciplined Person
Discipline is not arrived at easily or quickly. Yet those who are willing to subordinate passions, manage their talents, and refashion their character will discover that they become the people they were meant to be.
For the Christian, prayer is an important part of discipline. On our own we can attain self-control and strength through self-regulation. But it will be of little value if God is not at the center of our lives because we want to be God-made not self-made people.
Our desire to be disciplined people should be for the glory of God not self. The work of God needs people who have surrendered their lives to Him. Jesus himself said that those who follow Him must deny themselves, and take up their cross. Discipleship is a life of self-denial and cross bearing. Christians must desire the will of God more than the acquisition of material things, or for providing for the comfort of their own wants and needs.
Our surrender to God must be complete and through discipline we must be dead to the self and the world. Nothing must hinder our service, not nice homes in pleasant neighborhoods, not fine furnishings, and not family. Our possessions are not the measure of our lives. Our goal is not happiness but to become like Christ.
The author suggests imposing some measure of abstinence in our lives to avoid softness if we live in times of ease and comfort, or if God has prospered us. "If life does not buffet us, then we must buffet ourselves."
Fun is not our goal in life. Play should be restorative not an endless pursuit. Pleasures should be enjoyed gratefully.
For the Christian life is challenging. Jesus pleased "not himself." If we are His disciples we will find our meaning and purpose in Him, not in ourselves, or the things of this world. Through discipline we will be ready for a life of sacrifice and service.
The final chapter of the book Questions For Further Discussion presents a series of questions about discipline based on each chapter.
Book Summary:The Disciplined Life The Mark of Christian Maturity By Richard S. Taylor
by Paul Monteith
5 Purposes
• Worship
• Fellowship
Discipleship
• Ministry
• Evangelism
Jesus pleased "not himself." The apostle Paul "kept his body under" control. And Moses refused the pleasures of Pharaoh's court. Self-discipline is what we all need, and it can make all the difference between success and failure spiritually. Our willingness to regulate our own lives is a sign of maturity, and it is necessary if we are to take up our cross and be like Christ. Christian discipline is not about abstinence but rather about being temperate in all things so that we can be more useful to God. It is an aid in our pursuit of holiness, and under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, discipline will help us become the people God meant us to be.
Personal Comment
What I Learned From this Book:
Discipline is not about denying ourselves for the sake of denying ourselves; discipline is about readying ourselves for service and usefulness to God.
The Place Of Discipline In Christian Living
The Key To Power
Whatever we do in life, such as learning a new skill or acquiring further education, the difference between mediocrity and excellence in our endeavor is discipline. Most people have the necessary talents to achieve their goals yet fail not for lack of ability but for being unwilling to make the necessary sacrifices.
The author claims that the difference between the disciplined and undisciplined person is habit, and "habit is character."
Discipline of the mind is important. Such a person is able to concentrate on essentials, use his abilities more effectively, and face life and its disappointments with calm and purpose. The race belongs to the disciplined.
An anecdote about a woman, whose life of habitual discipline helped her through a time of sickness, can be found on page 24.
An anecdote about a famous baritone who succeeded because he was willing to make the necessary sacrifices, page 27.
The Mark Of Maturity
Self-discipline is the ability to control our conduct, and it helps to block personal impulses, peer pressure, and social customs from influencing our conduct.
A person exercising self-discipline is better able to control his appetites, emotions, moods, and tongue. This life of balance and grace is achieved not through drastic actions but by consistent daily discipline over the regular tasks that make up our everyday lives. Such a person is able to choose between what is important and what is not from among the many possibilities and activities pressing for his attention.
Discipline for Christians means discipleship. Following Jesus means self-denial and carrying one's cross. The apostle Paul tells us to "put to death the old man," with its appetites if we are to grow spiritually. Jesus tells us to "pluck out" anything that prevents us from obeying God. This plucking out requires discipline and courage.
"I have had a cross to bear in my life, and it has made me the man that I am," said Dr. F. B. Meyer.
The Perils Of Discipline
Discipline has value; it gives a person confidence, strength and control. This mastery over our lives may lead us to believe that discipline is the ultimate value, and instead of it being our servant discipline becomes our savior.
For the Christian such thinking is deadly. Self-mastery may lead to feelings of self-satisfaction. We may come to believe we are superior to others. We may become exacting and harsh in our relationships. And we may deny ourselves the joys and experiences of life that God intended us to enjoy.
A right relationship with God is the greatest treasure of all, not discipline, states the author. Discipline is only a tool to help us more fully realize the supreme values of Christ's kingdom. The goal of discipline must be usefulness. People are important, and the objective of self-discipline must be in helping people.
The hallmark of Christian discipline is not abstinence, nor slavish bondage to habit, or strictness with others, but temperance in all things. Christians discipline and dedicate themselves to God for service.
Discipline and Holiness
Discipline is not holiness. One can live a disciplined life and not think about God at all, whereas God is ever in the thoughts of a Christian pursing holiness.
Holiness defines one's relationship with God.
Discipline is an aid that will help maintain holiness but it cannot create a clean heart. It is not the path to purity, and it is no substitute for the grace of God.
Christians living in God's grace will find themselves motivated by the Holy Spirit to live purposely and orderly. With humility they will adjust their lives, learning how to deny the self and bring under tribute their intellect, emotions and talents. Such discipline leads us to surrender and this glorifies God not self.
God's grace also gives us the power to sustain discipline; it helps us to continue to deny self when our very nature cries out for an easier path. Holy living is devoted living, and discipline helps us subject the physical to the spiritual.
The Case For Imposed Discipline
A lack of restraints does not produce better citizens. Undisciplined children become undisciplined adults. Rigid discipline does not produce healthy people either. There must be a balance between liberty and law.
Balanced discipline whether imposed by others or proscribed by self will produce qualities such as self-reliance, self-control and dependability.
Parental discipline administered lovingly should develop clear ideas of justice and fair play, and a regard for standards and laws. Christians living a disciplined life will express a love for people and God, have a sense of social responsibility, exhibit a high regard for human life and decency, and express warmth, loyalty and sacrifice. These are character traits of mature and useful people.
A disciplined life adapts, and when obstacles appear it patiently finds a way around, controlling the feelings of frustration, seeking to bring forth beauty rather than ugliness. “Self-control keeps life from being a nightmare.”
The Path to Discipline in Christian Living
How To Become A Disciplined Person
Discipline is not arrived at easily or quickly. Yet those who are willing to subordinate passions, manage their talents, and refashion their character will discover that they become the people they were meant to be.
For the Christian, prayer is an important part of discipline. On our own we can attain self-control and strength through self-regulation. But it will be of little value if God is not at the center of our lives because we want to be God-made not self-made people.
Our desire to be disciplined people should be for the glory of God not self. The work of God needs people who have surrendered their lives to Him. Jesus himself said that those who follow Him must deny themselves, and take up their cross. Discipleship is a life of self-denial and cross bearing. Christians must desire the will of God more than the acquisition of material things, or for providing for the comfort of their own wants and needs.
Our surrender to God must be complete and through discipline we must be dead to the self and the world. Nothing must hinder our service, not nice homes in pleasant neighborhoods, not fine furnishings, and not family. Our possessions are not the measure of our lives. Our goal is not happiness but to become like Christ.
The author suggests imposing some measure of abstinence in our lives to avoid softness if we live in times of ease and comfort, or if God has prospered us. "If life does not buffet us, then we must buffet ourselves."
Fun is not our goal in life. Play should be restorative not an endless pursuit. Pleasures should be enjoyed gratefully.
For the Christian life is challenging. Jesus pleased "not himself." If we are His disciples we will find our meaning and purpose in Him, not in ourselves, or the things of this world. Through discipline we will be ready for a life of sacrifice and service.
The final chapter of the book Questions For Further Discussion presents a series of questions about discipline based on each chapter.
SUMMARY: Christian mission in the modern world
Book Summary: Christian mission in the modern world
by John R. Stott
Christian mission in the modern world
by John R. W. Stott
InterVarsity Press, Downers Grove, IL, 1975
Summary by Arlene Klink
In recent years, the mission of the church has been defined in two almost exclusive ways. On the one hand, there are those who say the church’s business is evangelism and discipleship only; on the other hand, there are those who advocate concentrating almost solely on social welfare.
The author, through a careful definition of five terms – mission, evangelism, dialogue, salvation and conversion – attempts to bring these two groups together and show that the mission of the church really includes both.
Words and Their Meanings
Time changes the meaning of words – what a word means today is probably very different from what it meant yesterday. Stott took these five words – mission, evangelism, dialogue, salvation and conversion – and attempted to define them biblically. That is, to study these words in both their grammatical and their historical setting to determine their true biblical meaning.
Mission
There are two extreme views of mission. The traditional view has been to equate mission and evangelism. At the opposite extreme is the concept of mission as seeking to serve according to the world’s contemporary sociological needs, i.e. social renewal.
But the bottom line question: what did Jesus commission his people to do?
In John 20:21, the Great Commission of Jesus is: ‘As the Father has sent me, even so I send you.' Jesus modeled our mission. Therefore, our understanding of the church’s mission must be deduced from our understanding of the Son’s. The mission of Jesus included proclaiming the good news of God's Kingdom.
But he served in deed as well, feeding the hungry, healing the sick and comforting the sad. Therefore, our mission is to be one of service. In our servant role we can find the right synthesis of evangelism and social action.
If we accept this broader definition of mission as comprising both evangelism and social service, then Christians, led by the Holy Spirit, could have a far greater impact on society.
Evangelism
Mission includes both evangelism and social responsibility. However, in the church’s mission evangelism is primary. Evangelism is sharing the good news of Christ with others. How did the apostles present Jesus?
Their good news contained at least five elements:
1) The gospel events – Jesus died for our sins and was raised from the dead.
2) The gospel witnesses – The evidence to which the apostles appealed for the authentication of the gospel was twofold. The first was the Old Testament scriptures in which it was demonstrated that Jesus was the Christ of Old Testament expectation. The second was the evidence of the apostles’ own eyes.
3) The gospel affirmations – The two great gospel affirmations are that Jesus is Savior (with authority to bestow salvation) and that he is Lord (with authority to demand submission).
4) The gospel promises – If people repented and were baptized they would receive two free gifts from God, ‘the forgiveness of sins’ and ‘the gifts of the Holy Spirit.’
Dialogue
Is there any room for dialogue between Christians and non-Christians in the proclamation of the Good News? Some would say no, agreeing with Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones who states: ‘Believing what we do about God, we cannot in any circumstances allow him to become a subject for discussion or debate or investigation ... as if he were but a philosophical proposition.'
Others, including Stott, say there is an important place for dialogue with other faiths, noting that the God of biblical revelation himself frequently enters into dialogue with people. He not only speaks but also listens. Therefore, when approaching non-Christians, we also need to be personal, humble and relevant. We need to learn about the person, his convictions and respect those convictions.
We still want to share the Good News with him, but we also care about him. True dialogue with a person of another faith requires a concern both for the Gospel and the other person. Dialogue puts evangelism into a human context.
Salvation
The author argues from Scripture that salvation is neither psycho-physical healing or socio-political liberation. Rather, the salvation that Christ died to win and offers to people is personal freedom. It is freedom from the just judgment of God upon sin and it enables us to be adopted into God’s own family. It is liberation from the shackles of our own self-centeredness into the freedom of service to God and others. It is freedom to attain ‘the glorious liberty of the children of God.'
Conversion
Conversion means to turn from one direction to another, or to return from one place to another. Since the turn from idols and sin is ‘repentance’ and the turn to God and Christ is ‘faith,' we reach the biblical equation that ‘repentance + faith = conversion.’ This conversion cannot be accomplished by our own willpower. Only the Holy Spirit can open our eyes, enlighten the darkness, liberate us from bondage, turn us to God and bring us out of death into life.
Conversion is only a beginning: before us lies a lifetime of growth into the maturity of Christ, of transformation into the image of Christ. As the President of Tanzania, Julius Nyerere, once stated: "I sometimes ask people who call themselves 'committed Christians' what they are committed to; Christ was committed to people; we should be also."
by John R. Stott
Christian mission in the modern world
by John R. W. Stott
InterVarsity Press, Downers Grove, IL, 1975
Summary by Arlene Klink
In recent years, the mission of the church has been defined in two almost exclusive ways. On the one hand, there are those who say the church’s business is evangelism and discipleship only; on the other hand, there are those who advocate concentrating almost solely on social welfare.
The author, through a careful definition of five terms – mission, evangelism, dialogue, salvation and conversion – attempts to bring these two groups together and show that the mission of the church really includes both.
Words and Their Meanings
Time changes the meaning of words – what a word means today is probably very different from what it meant yesterday. Stott took these five words – mission, evangelism, dialogue, salvation and conversion – and attempted to define them biblically. That is, to study these words in both their grammatical and their historical setting to determine their true biblical meaning.
Mission
There are two extreme views of mission. The traditional view has been to equate mission and evangelism. At the opposite extreme is the concept of mission as seeking to serve according to the world’s contemporary sociological needs, i.e. social renewal.
But the bottom line question: what did Jesus commission his people to do?
In John 20:21, the Great Commission of Jesus is: ‘As the Father has sent me, even so I send you.' Jesus modeled our mission. Therefore, our understanding of the church’s mission must be deduced from our understanding of the Son’s. The mission of Jesus included proclaiming the good news of God's Kingdom.
But he served in deed as well, feeding the hungry, healing the sick and comforting the sad. Therefore, our mission is to be one of service. In our servant role we can find the right synthesis of evangelism and social action.
If we accept this broader definition of mission as comprising both evangelism and social service, then Christians, led by the Holy Spirit, could have a far greater impact on society.
Evangelism
Mission includes both evangelism and social responsibility. However, in the church’s mission evangelism is primary. Evangelism is sharing the good news of Christ with others. How did the apostles present Jesus?
Their good news contained at least five elements:
1) The gospel events – Jesus died for our sins and was raised from the dead.
2) The gospel witnesses – The evidence to which the apostles appealed for the authentication of the gospel was twofold. The first was the Old Testament scriptures in which it was demonstrated that Jesus was the Christ of Old Testament expectation. The second was the evidence of the apostles’ own eyes.
3) The gospel affirmations – The two great gospel affirmations are that Jesus is Savior (with authority to bestow salvation) and that he is Lord (with authority to demand submission).
4) The gospel promises – If people repented and were baptized they would receive two free gifts from God, ‘the forgiveness of sins’ and ‘the gifts of the Holy Spirit.’
Dialogue
Is there any room for dialogue between Christians and non-Christians in the proclamation of the Good News? Some would say no, agreeing with Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones who states: ‘Believing what we do about God, we cannot in any circumstances allow him to become a subject for discussion or debate or investigation ... as if he were but a philosophical proposition.'
Others, including Stott, say there is an important place for dialogue with other faiths, noting that the God of biblical revelation himself frequently enters into dialogue with people. He not only speaks but also listens. Therefore, when approaching non-Christians, we also need to be personal, humble and relevant. We need to learn about the person, his convictions and respect those convictions.
We still want to share the Good News with him, but we also care about him. True dialogue with a person of another faith requires a concern both for the Gospel and the other person. Dialogue puts evangelism into a human context.
Salvation
The author argues from Scripture that salvation is neither psycho-physical healing or socio-political liberation. Rather, the salvation that Christ died to win and offers to people is personal freedom. It is freedom from the just judgment of God upon sin and it enables us to be adopted into God’s own family. It is liberation from the shackles of our own self-centeredness into the freedom of service to God and others. It is freedom to attain ‘the glorious liberty of the children of God.'
Conversion
Conversion means to turn from one direction to another, or to return from one place to another. Since the turn from idols and sin is ‘repentance’ and the turn to God and Christ is ‘faith,' we reach the biblical equation that ‘repentance + faith = conversion.’ This conversion cannot be accomplished by our own willpower. Only the Holy Spirit can open our eyes, enlighten the darkness, liberate us from bondage, turn us to God and bring us out of death into life.
Conversion is only a beginning: before us lies a lifetime of growth into the maturity of Christ, of transformation into the image of Christ. As the President of Tanzania, Julius Nyerere, once stated: "I sometimes ask people who call themselves 'committed Christians' what they are committed to; Christ was committed to people; we should be also."
Five purposes
http://www.pastors.com/RWMT/printerfriendly.asp?issue=96&artID=1603
A healthy church balances the five purposes
by Rick Warren
The Importance of Balance
Every church needs to grow warmer through fellowship, deeper through discipleship, stronger through worship, broader through ministry, and larger through evangelism.
"By focusing equally on all five of the New Testament purposes of the church, your church will develop the healthy balance that makes lasting growth possible."
These five purposes of the church are commanded by Jesus in the Great Commandment and Great Commission, explained by Paul in Ephesians 4, described in Jesus’ prayer for the church in John 17, and modeled by the first church in Jerusalem.
In Acts 2:42-47 these five facets of health are mentioned: They fellowshipped, edified each other, worshipped, ministered, and evangelized. As a result, verse 47 says, “And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.”
The Five Dimensions of a Healthy Church
1. Churches grow warmer through fellowship.
2. Churches grow deeper through discipleship.
3. Churches grow stronger through worship.
4. Churches grow broader through ministry.
5. Churches grow larger through evangelism.
Church growth is the natural result of church health. But church health can only occur when our message is biblical and our mission is balanced. Each of the five New Testament purposes of the church must be in equilibrium with the others for health to occur.
Now this is important: Because we are imperfect beings, balance in a church does not occur naturally!
In fact, we must continually correct imbalance. It’s human nature to overemphasize the purpose of the church we feel most passionate about.
As a result, most evangelical churches already do the five purposes of the church - sort of.
But they don’t do them all equally well. One church may be strong in fellowship, yet weak in evangelism. Another may be strong in worship, yet weak in discipleship. Still another may be strong in evangelism, yet weak in ministry.
Why is this? It’s the natural tendency of leaders to emphasize what they feel strongly about and neglect whatever they feel less passionate about. Around the world you can find churches that have become the extension of their pastor’s giftedness. They focus only on what he cares about most.
Unless you set up a system and structure to intentionally balance the five purposes, your church will tend to overemphasize the purpose that best expresses the gifts and passion of its pastor. Most churches fall into one of five categories, based on the purpose they emphasize most.
Without a system and structure to balance the five purposes, your church will overemphasize the purpose that expresses the gifts and passion of the pastor.
Five Kinds of Unbalanced Churches
The Soul Winning Church
If the pastor sees his primary role as an evangelist, then the church becomes a soul-winning church. This church is always reaching out to the lost - to the neglect of the other four purposes. The only goal is to save souls. The terms you’re likely to hear most often in this church are witnessing, evangelism, salvation, decisions for Christ, baptisms, visitation, altar calls, and crusades. This church is shaped by the leader’s gift of evangelism. Everything else takes on a secondary role.
The Experiencing God Church
If the pastor’s passion and gifts lie in the area of worship, he will instinctively lead the church to become what I call an experiencing God church. The focus is on sensing the presence and power of God in worship. Key terms for this church are praise, prayer, worship, music, spiritual gifts, spirit power, and revival. The worship service receives more attention than anything else. You can find both charismatic and non-charismatic varieties of this type of church.
The Family Reunion Church
A church that focuses primarily on fellowship is what I call the family reunion church. This church is shaped by the pastoral gift. The pastor is highly relational, loves people, and spends most of his time caring for members. Key terms for this church are love, belonging, fellowship, caring, relationships, potlucks, small groups, and fun. In the family reunion church, the gathering is more important that the goals.
Most churches of this type have less than 200 members since that’s about all one pastor can personally care for - probably 80% of American churches fall into this category. A family reunion church may not get much done - but it’s almost indestructible. It can survive poor preaching, limited finances, no growth, scandal, and even church splits. Relationships are the glue that keeps the faithful coming.
The Classroom Church
This church occurs when the pastor sees his primary role as being a teacher. Because he’s gifted in teaching and enjoys it immensely, he will emphasize preaching and de-emphasize the other tasks of the church. The church may even have “Bible” in its name. The pastor serves as the expert instructor and the members come to church with notebooks, take notes, and go home. Key words for the classroom church are expository preaching, Bible study, Greek and Hebrew, doctrine, knowledge, truth, and discipleship.
The Social Conscience Church
This is the church that is out to change society. It is full of activists who are “doers of the Word.” It comes in both a liberal and conservative version. The liberal version tends to focus on the injustice in our society. The conservative version tends to focus on the moral decline in our society. Both feel the church should be a major player in the political process. There is always some current crusade or cause that the church is involved in. The pastor sees his role as prophet and reformer. Important terms in this church are needs, serve, share, minister, take a stand, and do something,
I realize that I have painted these pictures with broad strokes. Generalizations never tell the whole story, and are usually incomplete. Some churches are a blend of two or three of these categories. The point is that unless there is an intentional plan to balance all five purposes, most churches will embrace one purpose to the neglect of others.
There are some interesting things we can observe about these five categories of churches.
First, the members of each of these churches will usually consider their church as the most spiritual. That’s because people are attracted to join the type of church that corresponds to their own passion and giftedness. We all want to be a part of a church that affirms what we feel is most important.
The truth is all five emphases are important! These are the purposes of the church, but they must be balanced if a church is to be healthy. A lot of congregational conflict is caused when a church calls a pastor whose gifts and passion do not match the purpose that the church has emphasized in the past.
For example, if a family fellowship church thinks they’re calling a pastor to be their chaplain, and they get an evangelist or a reformer, sparks will fly! Having counseled thousands of pastors, I know this is a common recipe for disaster.
Intentionally setting up a strategy and a structure to force ourselves to give equal attention to each purpose is what being a purpose-driven church is all about.
Healthy churches are built on purpose!
By focusing equally on all five of the New Testament purposes of the church, your church will develop the healthy balance that makes lasting growth possible.
A healthy church balances the five purposes
by Rick Warren
The Importance of Balance
Every church needs to grow warmer through fellowship, deeper through discipleship, stronger through worship, broader through ministry, and larger through evangelism.
"By focusing equally on all five of the New Testament purposes of the church, your church will develop the healthy balance that makes lasting growth possible."
These five purposes of the church are commanded by Jesus in the Great Commandment and Great Commission, explained by Paul in Ephesians 4, described in Jesus’ prayer for the church in John 17, and modeled by the first church in Jerusalem.
In Acts 2:42-47 these five facets of health are mentioned: They fellowshipped, edified each other, worshipped, ministered, and evangelized. As a result, verse 47 says, “And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.”
The Five Dimensions of a Healthy Church
1. Churches grow warmer through fellowship.
2. Churches grow deeper through discipleship.
3. Churches grow stronger through worship.
4. Churches grow broader through ministry.
5. Churches grow larger through evangelism.
Church growth is the natural result of church health. But church health can only occur when our message is biblical and our mission is balanced. Each of the five New Testament purposes of the church must be in equilibrium with the others for health to occur.
Now this is important: Because we are imperfect beings, balance in a church does not occur naturally!
In fact, we must continually correct imbalance. It’s human nature to overemphasize the purpose of the church we feel most passionate about.
As a result, most evangelical churches already do the five purposes of the church - sort of.
But they don’t do them all equally well. One church may be strong in fellowship, yet weak in evangelism. Another may be strong in worship, yet weak in discipleship. Still another may be strong in evangelism, yet weak in ministry.
Why is this? It’s the natural tendency of leaders to emphasize what they feel strongly about and neglect whatever they feel less passionate about. Around the world you can find churches that have become the extension of their pastor’s giftedness. They focus only on what he cares about most.
Unless you set up a system and structure to intentionally balance the five purposes, your church will tend to overemphasize the purpose that best expresses the gifts and passion of its pastor. Most churches fall into one of five categories, based on the purpose they emphasize most.
Without a system and structure to balance the five purposes, your church will overemphasize the purpose that expresses the gifts and passion of the pastor.
Five Kinds of Unbalanced Churches
The Soul Winning Church
If the pastor sees his primary role as an evangelist, then the church becomes a soul-winning church. This church is always reaching out to the lost - to the neglect of the other four purposes. The only goal is to save souls. The terms you’re likely to hear most often in this church are witnessing, evangelism, salvation, decisions for Christ, baptisms, visitation, altar calls, and crusades. This church is shaped by the leader’s gift of evangelism. Everything else takes on a secondary role.
The Experiencing God Church
If the pastor’s passion and gifts lie in the area of worship, he will instinctively lead the church to become what I call an experiencing God church. The focus is on sensing the presence and power of God in worship. Key terms for this church are praise, prayer, worship, music, spiritual gifts, spirit power, and revival. The worship service receives more attention than anything else. You can find both charismatic and non-charismatic varieties of this type of church.
The Family Reunion Church
A church that focuses primarily on fellowship is what I call the family reunion church. This church is shaped by the pastoral gift. The pastor is highly relational, loves people, and spends most of his time caring for members. Key terms for this church are love, belonging, fellowship, caring, relationships, potlucks, small groups, and fun. In the family reunion church, the gathering is more important that the goals.
Most churches of this type have less than 200 members since that’s about all one pastor can personally care for - probably 80% of American churches fall into this category. A family reunion church may not get much done - but it’s almost indestructible. It can survive poor preaching, limited finances, no growth, scandal, and even church splits. Relationships are the glue that keeps the faithful coming.
The Classroom Church
This church occurs when the pastor sees his primary role as being a teacher. Because he’s gifted in teaching and enjoys it immensely, he will emphasize preaching and de-emphasize the other tasks of the church. The church may even have “Bible” in its name. The pastor serves as the expert instructor and the members come to church with notebooks, take notes, and go home. Key words for the classroom church are expository preaching, Bible study, Greek and Hebrew, doctrine, knowledge, truth, and discipleship.
The Social Conscience Church
This is the church that is out to change society. It is full of activists who are “doers of the Word.” It comes in both a liberal and conservative version. The liberal version tends to focus on the injustice in our society. The conservative version tends to focus on the moral decline in our society. Both feel the church should be a major player in the political process. There is always some current crusade or cause that the church is involved in. The pastor sees his role as prophet and reformer. Important terms in this church are needs, serve, share, minister, take a stand, and do something,
I realize that I have painted these pictures with broad strokes. Generalizations never tell the whole story, and are usually incomplete. Some churches are a blend of two or three of these categories. The point is that unless there is an intentional plan to balance all five purposes, most churches will embrace one purpose to the neglect of others.
There are some interesting things we can observe about these five categories of churches.
First, the members of each of these churches will usually consider their church as the most spiritual. That’s because people are attracted to join the type of church that corresponds to their own passion and giftedness. We all want to be a part of a church that affirms what we feel is most important.
The truth is all five emphases are important! These are the purposes of the church, but they must be balanced if a church is to be healthy. A lot of congregational conflict is caused when a church calls a pastor whose gifts and passion do not match the purpose that the church has emphasized in the past.
For example, if a family fellowship church thinks they’re calling a pastor to be their chaplain, and they get an evangelist or a reformer, sparks will fly! Having counseled thousands of pastors, I know this is a common recipe for disaster.
Intentionally setting up a strategy and a structure to force ourselves to give equal attention to each purpose is what being a purpose-driven church is all about.
Healthy churches are built on purpose!
By focusing equally on all five of the New Testament purposes of the church, your church will develop the healthy balance that makes lasting growth possible.
EXCERPT: Everybody’s normal till you get to know them
https://www.pastors.com/RWMT/printerfriendly.asp?id=147&artid=4871&expand=1
Everybody’s normal till you get to know them
by John Ortberg
This article is excerpted from the book,
Everybody’s Normal Till You Get to Know Them.
In certain stores you’ll find a section of merchandise available at greatly reduced prices. The tip-off is a particular tag you’ll see on all the items in that area. Each tag carries the same words: as-is.
This is a euphemistic way of saying: “These are damaged goods.” Sometimes they’re called slightly irregular. The store is issuing you fair warning: This is the department of Something’s-Gone-Wrong. You’re going to find a flaw here: a stain that won’t come out; a zipper that won’t zip; button that won’t button—there will be a problem. These items are not normal.
We’re not going to tell you where the flaw is. You’ll have to look for it. But we know it’s there. So when you find it—and you will find it—don’t come whining and sniveling to us. Because there is a fundamental rule when dealing with merchandise in this corner of the store: No returns. No refunds. No exchanges.
If you were looking for perfection, you walked down the wrong aisle. You have received fair warning. If you want this item, there is only one way to obtain it. You must take it as is.
When you deal with human beings, you’ve come to the “as-is” corner of the universe. Think for a moment about someone in your life. Maybe the person you know best, love most. That person is slightly irregular. That person comes with a little tag: There’s a flaw here. A streak of deception, a cruel tongue, a passive spirit, an out-of-control temper.
I’m not going to tell you where it is, but it’s there. So when you find it—and you will find it—don’t be surprised. If you want to enter a relationship with this model, there is only one way. “As is.”
We are tempted to live under the illusion that somewhere out there are people who are normal. In the movie, As Good As it Gets, Helen Hunt is wracked by ambivalence toward Jack Nicholson. He is kind and generous to her and her sick son, but he is also agoraphobic, obsessive-compulsive, and terminally offensive: if rudeness were measured in square miles, he’d be Texas.
In desperation, Helen finally cries to her mother, “I just want a normal boyfriend.” “Oh,” her mother responds in empathy. “Everybody wants one of those. There is no such thing dear.”
When we enter relationships with the illusion that people are normal, we resist the truth that they are not. We enter an endless attempt to fix them, control them, or pretend that they are what they are not. One of the great marks of maturity is to accept the fact that everyone comes “as-is.”
Dietrich Bonhoeffer said people enter relationships with their own particular ideals and dreams of what community should look like. He wrote surprising words:
“But God’s grace quickly frustrated all such dreams. A great disillusionment with others, with Christians in general, and, if we are fortunate, with ourselves, is bound to overwhelm us as surely as God desires to lead us to an understanding of genuine Christian community … . The sooner this moment of disillusionment comes over the individual and the community, the better for both … . Those who love their dream of a Christian community more than the Christian community itself become destroyers of that Christian community even though their personal intentions may be ever so honest, earnest and sacrificial."
Of course the most painful part of this is realizing that I am in the “as-is” department as well. Throughout history human beings have resisted owning up to that little tag. We try to separate the world into normal, healthy people (like us) and difficult people.
Sometime ago the title of a magazine article caught my eye: “Totally Normal Women Who Stalk Their Ex-Boyfriends.”
The phrase that struck me was the “totally normal women.” What would one of these look like (or a totally normal man, for that matter)? And if the obsessive stalking of a past lover is not just normal but totally normal, how far would you have to go to be a little strange?
We all want to look normal, to think of ourselves as normal, but the writers of Scripture insist that no one is “totally normal” – at least not as God defines normal. “All we like sheep have gone astray,” they tell us. “All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.”
Every one of us—all we like sheep—have habits we can’t control, past deeds we can’t undo, flaws we can’t correct. In the way that glass is predisposed to shatter and nitroglycerin is predisposed to explode, we are predisposed to do wrong when conditions are right.
That predisposition is what theologians call “depravity.” We lie and sacrifice integrity for the sake of a few dollars (“I don’t understand, Officer—my speedometer must be broken.”) We gossip for the sake of a few moments’ feeling of superiority. We seek to intimidate employees or children to gain control, or simply to enjoy the feeling of power.
Everybody’s weird. Because we know in our hearts that this is not the way we’re supposed to be, we try to hide our weirdness. Every one of us pretends to be healthier and kinder than we really are; we all engage in what might be called “depravity management.”
Every once in a while somebody’s “as-is” tag becomes high profile. A Pulitzer Prize-winning historian is guilty of plagiarism; a politician’s career explodes in sexual scandal; a powerful CEO resigns in disgrace over illegal document shredding.
What’s surprising is not that such things happen; it’s that the general public response is: “Can you believe it? And they seemed so normal.” As if you and I, of course, would be incapable of such behavior.
How Do You Get Close Without Getting Hurt?
Here’s the rub: How do you pursue this beautiful dream of community with actual, real-life people? Weird, not-normal, as-is, dysfunctional people? Your friends, your colleagues, your spouse, your children, your parents, your small group, your church, your coworkers? Can it really happen?
The North American Common Porcupine is a member of the rodent family that has around 30,000 quills attached to his body. Each quill can be driven into an enemy, and the enemy’s body heat will cause the microscopic barb to expand and become more firmly embedded. The wounds can fester; the more dangerous ones, affecting vital organs, can be fatal.
As a general rule, porcupines have two methods for handling relationships: withdrawal and attack. They either head for a tree or stick out their quills. But porcupines don’t always want to be alone. Love turns out to be a risky business when you are a porcupine.
This is the Porcupine’s Dilemma: How do you get close without getting hurt?
This is our dilemma too. Every one of us carries our own little arsenal of quills. Our barbs have names like rejection, condemnation, resentment, arrogance, selfishness, envy, contempt. Some people hide them better than others, but get close enough and you will find out they’re there. They burrow under the skin of our enemies; they can wound and fester and even kill. We, too, learn to survive through a combination of withdrawal and attack. We, too, find ourselves hurting (and being hurt by) those we long to be closest to.
Yet we, too, want to get close. We meet neighbors, go on dates, join churches, form friendships, get married, and have children. We try to figure out how to get close without getting hurt. We wonder if there isn’t a softer, less-barbed creature out there—a mink or an otter, perhaps.
And of course, we can usually think of a number of particularly prickly porcupines in our lives. But the problem is not just them. I’m somebody’s porcupine. So are you.
-Pastors.com®-
This article is excerpted from Everybody’s Normal Till You Get to Know Them by John Ortberg (Zondervan, 2003). Used by permission. Everybody’s Normal Till You Get to Know Them is about how imperfect people like you and me can pursue community with other imperfect people. This is a book about how porcupines learn to dance. So you will have to start with the actual porcupines right there in your life.
Everybody’s normal till you get to know them
by John Ortberg
This article is excerpted from the book,
Everybody’s Normal Till You Get to Know Them.
In certain stores you’ll find a section of merchandise available at greatly reduced prices. The tip-off is a particular tag you’ll see on all the items in that area. Each tag carries the same words: as-is.
This is a euphemistic way of saying: “These are damaged goods.” Sometimes they’re called slightly irregular. The store is issuing you fair warning: This is the department of Something’s-Gone-Wrong. You’re going to find a flaw here: a stain that won’t come out; a zipper that won’t zip; button that won’t button—there will be a problem. These items are not normal.
We’re not going to tell you where the flaw is. You’ll have to look for it. But we know it’s there. So when you find it—and you will find it—don’t come whining and sniveling to us. Because there is a fundamental rule when dealing with merchandise in this corner of the store: No returns. No refunds. No exchanges.
If you were looking for perfection, you walked down the wrong aisle. You have received fair warning. If you want this item, there is only one way to obtain it. You must take it as is.
When you deal with human beings, you’ve come to the “as-is” corner of the universe. Think for a moment about someone in your life. Maybe the person you know best, love most. That person is slightly irregular. That person comes with a little tag: There’s a flaw here. A streak of deception, a cruel tongue, a passive spirit, an out-of-control temper.
I’m not going to tell you where it is, but it’s there. So when you find it—and you will find it—don’t be surprised. If you want to enter a relationship with this model, there is only one way. “As is.”
We are tempted to live under the illusion that somewhere out there are people who are normal. In the movie, As Good As it Gets, Helen Hunt is wracked by ambivalence toward Jack Nicholson. He is kind and generous to her and her sick son, but he is also agoraphobic, obsessive-compulsive, and terminally offensive: if rudeness were measured in square miles, he’d be Texas.
In desperation, Helen finally cries to her mother, “I just want a normal boyfriend.” “Oh,” her mother responds in empathy. “Everybody wants one of those. There is no such thing dear.”
When we enter relationships with the illusion that people are normal, we resist the truth that they are not. We enter an endless attempt to fix them, control them, or pretend that they are what they are not. One of the great marks of maturity is to accept the fact that everyone comes “as-is.”
Dietrich Bonhoeffer said people enter relationships with their own particular ideals and dreams of what community should look like. He wrote surprising words:
“But God’s grace quickly frustrated all such dreams. A great disillusionment with others, with Christians in general, and, if we are fortunate, with ourselves, is bound to overwhelm us as surely as God desires to lead us to an understanding of genuine Christian community … . The sooner this moment of disillusionment comes over the individual and the community, the better for both … . Those who love their dream of a Christian community more than the Christian community itself become destroyers of that Christian community even though their personal intentions may be ever so honest, earnest and sacrificial."
Of course the most painful part of this is realizing that I am in the “as-is” department as well. Throughout history human beings have resisted owning up to that little tag. We try to separate the world into normal, healthy people (like us) and difficult people.
Sometime ago the title of a magazine article caught my eye: “Totally Normal Women Who Stalk Their Ex-Boyfriends.”
The phrase that struck me was the “totally normal women.” What would one of these look like (or a totally normal man, for that matter)? And if the obsessive stalking of a past lover is not just normal but totally normal, how far would you have to go to be a little strange?
We all want to look normal, to think of ourselves as normal, but the writers of Scripture insist that no one is “totally normal” – at least not as God defines normal. “All we like sheep have gone astray,” they tell us. “All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.”
Every one of us—all we like sheep—have habits we can’t control, past deeds we can’t undo, flaws we can’t correct. In the way that glass is predisposed to shatter and nitroglycerin is predisposed to explode, we are predisposed to do wrong when conditions are right.
That predisposition is what theologians call “depravity.” We lie and sacrifice integrity for the sake of a few dollars (“I don’t understand, Officer—my speedometer must be broken.”) We gossip for the sake of a few moments’ feeling of superiority. We seek to intimidate employees or children to gain control, or simply to enjoy the feeling of power.
Everybody’s weird. Because we know in our hearts that this is not the way we’re supposed to be, we try to hide our weirdness. Every one of us pretends to be healthier and kinder than we really are; we all engage in what might be called “depravity management.”
Every once in a while somebody’s “as-is” tag becomes high profile. A Pulitzer Prize-winning historian is guilty of plagiarism; a politician’s career explodes in sexual scandal; a powerful CEO resigns in disgrace over illegal document shredding.
What’s surprising is not that such things happen; it’s that the general public response is: “Can you believe it? And they seemed so normal.” As if you and I, of course, would be incapable of such behavior.
How Do You Get Close Without Getting Hurt?
Here’s the rub: How do you pursue this beautiful dream of community with actual, real-life people? Weird, not-normal, as-is, dysfunctional people? Your friends, your colleagues, your spouse, your children, your parents, your small group, your church, your coworkers? Can it really happen?
The North American Common Porcupine is a member of the rodent family that has around 30,000 quills attached to his body. Each quill can be driven into an enemy, and the enemy’s body heat will cause the microscopic barb to expand and become more firmly embedded. The wounds can fester; the more dangerous ones, affecting vital organs, can be fatal.
As a general rule, porcupines have two methods for handling relationships: withdrawal and attack. They either head for a tree or stick out their quills. But porcupines don’t always want to be alone. Love turns out to be a risky business when you are a porcupine.
This is the Porcupine’s Dilemma: How do you get close without getting hurt?
This is our dilemma too. Every one of us carries our own little arsenal of quills. Our barbs have names like rejection, condemnation, resentment, arrogance, selfishness, envy, contempt. Some people hide them better than others, but get close enough and you will find out they’re there. They burrow under the skin of our enemies; they can wound and fester and even kill. We, too, learn to survive through a combination of withdrawal and attack. We, too, find ourselves hurting (and being hurt by) those we long to be closest to.
Yet we, too, want to get close. We meet neighbors, go on dates, join churches, form friendships, get married, and have children. We try to figure out how to get close without getting hurt. We wonder if there isn’t a softer, less-barbed creature out there—a mink or an otter, perhaps.
And of course, we can usually think of a number of particularly prickly porcupines in our lives. But the problem is not just them. I’m somebody’s porcupine. So are you.
-Pastors.com®-
This article is excerpted from Everybody’s Normal Till You Get to Know Them by John Ortberg (Zondervan, 2003). Used by permission. Everybody’s Normal Till You Get to Know Them is about how imperfect people like you and me can pursue community with other imperfect people. This is a book about how porcupines learn to dance. So you will have to start with the actual porcupines right there in your life.
Seven Books on Ethics Every Pastor Should Own
http://www.pastors.com/articles/BooksOnEthics.asp
Seven Books on Ethics Every Pastor Should Own
by Alan Branch, Ph.D.
Christian ethics is the most exciting subject any preacher can study. While the non-believer may not care whether or not the local pastor is a three -pointer, four-pointer, or five-pointer, they will get fighting mad if a preacher says some aspect of their lifestyle (ethics) is a sin!
Unfortunately, many ethics courses in seminaries make this exciting field a complete bore. In fact, many preachers are required to plow through Reinhold Niebuhr at some point in seminary. I want to make a claim that will cause many modern ethicists to shudder: the average preacher really doesn't need to read Reinhold Niebuhr! (Perhaps this says more about the fact that I am a NASCAR fan, but I find Niebuhr dry as dust.) Besides that he really didn't believe most of the Bible was true.
So my list of seven ethics books doesn't include Niebuhr. What my list does include are seven books that this pastor has found to be very helpful. I've chosen each of these books because they have helped me to articulate clearly what the Christian stance is on various issues:
Ethics for a Brave New World by John and Paul Feinberg (Crossway Books, 1993) -- Every preacher needs one book on Christian ethics that touches on a whole host of topics along with some of the foundational issues. Though the book is now somewhat dated, the Feinberg brothers offer a concise introduction to some of the major issues -- along with a good evangelical analysis of significant issues such as abortion, euthanasia, sexuality, and Christian activism. Furthermore, the Feinbergs do a good job summarizing where different Christians stand on the issue of divorce.
Politically Correct Death by Francis Beckwith (Baker Books, 1994) -- Not long after Roe v. Wade, C. Everett Koop argued that once life was devalued on one end of the spectrum (abortion), it would not be long before life would be devalued on the other end of the spectrum (euthanasia). The sanctity of human life remains the defining moral issue of the day. This is the most helpful book I can recommend to any pastor about abortion. Beckwith's book is loaded with direct quotes from pro-abortion advocates, and it will help the local pastor wade through some of the pro-abortion arguments and present a positive view of the Christian, life-affirming position.
A Different Death by Edward J. Larson and Darrel W. Amundsen (InterVarsity, 1998) -- This book is a "must-read" in relation to the subject of euthanasia. The book is divided into two parts, Amundsen's review of the Christian view of suicide and Larson's review of recent legal challenges to laws against euthanasia. The danger in euthanasia is more than Jack Kevorkian and his "Mercitron" death machine. Even most euthanasia advocates find death in the back of a VW van morally repugnant. The real danger is those who come behind him and present a more benign face to institutionalized death. Part of their argument is that euthanasia must be institutionalized in order to restrain the fringe actions of people like Kevorkian. In a frightening turn of events, some federal judges have suggested that Christians are logically inconsistent when they oppose euthanasia since early Christians committed suicide in their martyrdom and were praised for their acts.
Homosexuality and the Politics of Truth by Jeffrey Satinover (Baker Books, 1996) -- Beyond the sanctity of life issue, human sexuality towers above the ethical landscape. This book's author, Satinover, perplexes non-believers because he holds degrees from MIT and Harvard, which bursts the pre-conceived notion of evangelicals as intellectually weak and easily manipulated. I highly recommend this book.
How and When to Teach Your Kids About Sex by Stanton and Brenna Jones (Navpress, 1993) -- This book is important because the sexual chaos in our society means that our children will be exposed to overt sexual messages at a very early age. This husband and wife team presents a workable approach for Christian sex education.
The Encyclopedia of Biblical and Christian Ethics, edited by R. K. Harrison (Thomas Nelson, 1992) -- Inevitably, someone will ask you - the pastor -- a question which requires the most spiritual answer you have … something like, "Hmmm, let me research that for you." The Encyclopedia of Biblical and Christian Ethics is a good resource for you to do your "research." This work has articles on every subject from Alcoholism to Television.
Bad Bet by Timothy O'Brien (Random House, 1998) -- This is unique in this list because it is not written from a specifically Christian point of view. However, O'Brien, a newspaper reporter, has written a very engaging book on gambling in the United States. His research is superb, and the book will help pastors understand the extent of our nation's gambling mania.
Certainly there are other books, which could be mentioned, such as Piper and Grudem's Recovering Biblical Manhood and Womanhood, Koop and Schaeffer's Whatever Happened to the Human Race?, and Nigel Cameron's The New Medicine. However, I chose to recommend these seven books because they are affordable; they are enjoyable to read; and they will help the average preacher articulate the nature of an ethical problem along with an appropriate Christian response.
Seven Books on Ethics Every Pastor Should Own
by Alan Branch, Ph.D.
Christian ethics is the most exciting subject any preacher can study. While the non-believer may not care whether or not the local pastor is a three -pointer, four-pointer, or five-pointer, they will get fighting mad if a preacher says some aspect of their lifestyle (ethics) is a sin!
Unfortunately, many ethics courses in seminaries make this exciting field a complete bore. In fact, many preachers are required to plow through Reinhold Niebuhr at some point in seminary. I want to make a claim that will cause many modern ethicists to shudder: the average preacher really doesn't need to read Reinhold Niebuhr! (Perhaps this says more about the fact that I am a NASCAR fan, but I find Niebuhr dry as dust.) Besides that he really didn't believe most of the Bible was true.
So my list of seven ethics books doesn't include Niebuhr. What my list does include are seven books that this pastor has found to be very helpful. I've chosen each of these books because they have helped me to articulate clearly what the Christian stance is on various issues:
Ethics for a Brave New World by John and Paul Feinberg (Crossway Books, 1993) -- Every preacher needs one book on Christian ethics that touches on a whole host of topics along with some of the foundational issues. Though the book is now somewhat dated, the Feinberg brothers offer a concise introduction to some of the major issues -- along with a good evangelical analysis of significant issues such as abortion, euthanasia, sexuality, and Christian activism. Furthermore, the Feinbergs do a good job summarizing where different Christians stand on the issue of divorce.
Politically Correct Death by Francis Beckwith (Baker Books, 1994) -- Not long after Roe v. Wade, C. Everett Koop argued that once life was devalued on one end of the spectrum (abortion), it would not be long before life would be devalued on the other end of the spectrum (euthanasia). The sanctity of human life remains the defining moral issue of the day. This is the most helpful book I can recommend to any pastor about abortion. Beckwith's book is loaded with direct quotes from pro-abortion advocates, and it will help the local pastor wade through some of the pro-abortion arguments and present a positive view of the Christian, life-affirming position.
A Different Death by Edward J. Larson and Darrel W. Amundsen (InterVarsity, 1998) -- This book is a "must-read" in relation to the subject of euthanasia. The book is divided into two parts, Amundsen's review of the Christian view of suicide and Larson's review of recent legal challenges to laws against euthanasia. The danger in euthanasia is more than Jack Kevorkian and his "Mercitron" death machine. Even most euthanasia advocates find death in the back of a VW van morally repugnant. The real danger is those who come behind him and present a more benign face to institutionalized death. Part of their argument is that euthanasia must be institutionalized in order to restrain the fringe actions of people like Kevorkian. In a frightening turn of events, some federal judges have suggested that Christians are logically inconsistent when they oppose euthanasia since early Christians committed suicide in their martyrdom and were praised for their acts.
Homosexuality and the Politics of Truth by Jeffrey Satinover (Baker Books, 1996) -- Beyond the sanctity of life issue, human sexuality towers above the ethical landscape. This book's author, Satinover, perplexes non-believers because he holds degrees from MIT and Harvard, which bursts the pre-conceived notion of evangelicals as intellectually weak and easily manipulated. I highly recommend this book.
How and When to Teach Your Kids About Sex by Stanton and Brenna Jones (Navpress, 1993) -- This book is important because the sexual chaos in our society means that our children will be exposed to overt sexual messages at a very early age. This husband and wife team presents a workable approach for Christian sex education.
The Encyclopedia of Biblical and Christian Ethics, edited by R. K. Harrison (Thomas Nelson, 1992) -- Inevitably, someone will ask you - the pastor -- a question which requires the most spiritual answer you have … something like, "Hmmm, let me research that for you." The Encyclopedia of Biblical and Christian Ethics is a good resource for you to do your "research." This work has articles on every subject from Alcoholism to Television.
Bad Bet by Timothy O'Brien (Random House, 1998) -- This is unique in this list because it is not written from a specifically Christian point of view. However, O'Brien, a newspaper reporter, has written a very engaging book on gambling in the United States. His research is superb, and the book will help pastors understand the extent of our nation's gambling mania.
Certainly there are other books, which could be mentioned, such as Piper and Grudem's Recovering Biblical Manhood and Womanhood, Koop and Schaeffer's Whatever Happened to the Human Race?, and Nigel Cameron's The New Medicine. However, I chose to recommend these seven books because they are affordable; they are enjoyable to read; and they will help the average preacher articulate the nature of an ethical problem along with an appropriate Christian response.
SUMMARY: Body Life: The Church Comes Alive
http://www.pastors.com/article.asp?printerfriendly=1&ArtID=3236
Body Life: The Church Comes Alive
by A book Summary by Jim Dernocoeur
Body Life: The Church Comes Alive
By Ray C. Stedman
Publisher: G/L Regal Books, Glendale, CA, 1972
Executive Summary
"The ultimate end of evangelism is to have people conform to the image of Jesus."
This short book, written 30 years ago, points out how today’s church must follow the principles used by the early church to be vital and successful.
A key part of these principles is to develop all church members as “saints” to serve in ministry and expand the church with their evangelism. The duty of the church leaders is to equip the “saints” to do their job effectively.
Each member has unique spiritual gifts to be used for God’s purposes. To have life in the body (the church), we must become mature Christians, not spectators. It is the spirit of Jesus Christ that will energize today’s Christians just as it did centuries ago.
Koinonia is needed … a fellowship of Christians supporting each other. The author points out the effectiveness of small groups and built his own church - Peninsula Bible Church in Palo Alto, California - starting with such groups. So much of what the author, Ray Stedman, wrote is still working today.
Chapter 1. The Most Powerful Force on Earth
The word church conjures up negative, imperfect images for many. This is not the true church of Jesus. Churches combine weeds with wheat. The weeds will burn and the wheat will be harvested. This book describes the nature and function of true Christianity. Most Christians don’t know the Biblical pattern for the operation of the church. We need to rediscover the Biblical pattern. It is written in Paul’s letter to the Ephesians “The church is the world’s most powerful force for good.
Chapter 2. Highest Priority
If Christians are to give intelligent obedience to their Lord, they must give highest priority to understanding what it is He wants them to do and be. We must start with the truth. God chose him (Christ) before the foundation of the world. As Christians we should reflect the character of Jesus. The first aim of the church is to live to the praise and joy of God. God made Jesus the head over all things in the church, which is his body. The task of the church is to make known the manifold wisdom of God. It must be a witness to Christ. We must witness humbly with patience. The church cannot save the world, but the Lord of the church can. Through love we can maintain unity. A risen Christ changes people and societies if we implant Him in our lives.
Chapter 3. Not Union – Unity!
The ecumenical movement has tried to put divergent Christian churches together. Instead of a union, Apostle Paul said we should “be eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.” The church is a body of thousands of cells with one mutually shared life. The hope of all Christians is to be like Jesus and follow Him. Only Jesus is Lord. With Christians, there is one faith, one body of truth. Unity of the spirit overcomes denominational boundaries and urges us to reach out to non-Christians.
Chapter 4. No Exceptions
The life of Jesus is still being manifest among men through the church worldwide in any age. The church operates “by the grace given to each of us according to the measure of Christ’s gift.” Every Christian is provided with spiritual gifts. The Bible enumerates 16 or 17 basic gifts. Some gifts are grouped as ministries and some as workings. All are given through the Spirit. Various gifts are discussed from wisdom and knowledge through prophecy which is stated by Paul as the greatest gift of all. Prophecy speaks to men for their up building, encouragement and consolation. To be successful, church members must recognize and exercise their spiritual gifts … no exceptions.
Chapter 5. Understanding Your Gift
God has equipped us all with a unique set of spiritual gifts. A spiritual gift differs from a natural talent because it improves the spirit of another and helps that person love life and God more. You discover your spiritual talents just like you discover your natural talents. Try those things that appeal to you the most. As you go along, do you see improvement? Be aware of what gifts others see in you. Gifts of the Spirit should be used in the world as well as the church. Christ wants us to reach out to the needy of the world because He loves them all.
Chapter 6. According to the Power
How does the church expect to influence society? Through spiritually gifted people powered by Jesus Christ, His life and death and resurrection. His resurrection power is like no other. It makes no noise. It can overcome all obstacles. It is available to every Christian through faith. The church will never again affect the world as it did in the first century until each Christian utilizes the gifts God has given them through the resurrected Lord.
Chapter 7. How the Body Works
Paul likens the church to a human body and also a building. Four gifts from God make the church work: Apostles, prophets, evangelists and pastor/teachers. Apostles declare the whole body of truth concerning Christ. Jesus is the foundation. A prophet speaks for God and unfolds the mind of God so it is clear and compelling. Evangelists are responsible for growth of the church numerically. Pastor means shepherd. They maintain life in the body by feeding it and preserving its vitality. Some churches evolved into a few super-Christians doing all the work. The early church called all Christians into ministry. Church members have become spectators leaving an unbearable burden on pastors. Pastors must restore ministry to the people and let the Holy Spirit take over. Boldness and power will result.
Chapter 8. Shaping up the Saints
The four offices – apostle, prophet, evangelist and pastor/teacher exist for one purpose—to equip common Christians (the Saints) to do their work of ministry and build-up the body of Christ. Paul said “the men of God must be equipped for every good work.” Preachers comfort the disturbed and disturb the comfortable. Preachers took over as evangelists in the frontier days and churches got boring and shrank. On page 86, the author tells how he pastored a church for 20 years and never held an evangelistic meeting. Evangelism was done by properly-equipped church members. Pastors and elders must be careful not to be powerful, but to serve others. Pastors must capture the interest and attention of their audiences. On pages 91 & 92, the author shows how Paul reached all the people of Ephesus: telling the gospel through common, ordinary saints.
Chapter 9. The Work of the Ministry
Jesus is still at work in the world today through the church – his body. The church is God’s instrument to reach the world. Jesus came to heal people’s spirits, not just their bodies. The divisions of ministry are guided by these Bible verses (Luke 4:18):
The Spirit of the Lord is upon me for he has anointed me.
He has anointed me to preach good news to the poor.
To proclaim release of the captives and recovering of sight to the blind.
To set at liberty those who are oppressed.
To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord.
Many people live in fear and feel history is out of control. But, God is governing human events on his timetable. Ministers are needed to evangelize, teach, pray and explain the times. Christians in their work-a-day lives must do this.
Chapter 10. Keeping the Body Healthy
For the church (body) to be effective, it must be spiritually healthy, vibrant with the spirit of Christ. Body life needs Koinonia (fellowship of Christians). But, many churches concentrate on proclamations instead of Koinonia, which is best done in small groups meeting in homes. There we bear each other’s sins and leaders can offer prayers and consolation. A listening ear can be the greatest Christian gift. We should not be afraid to lovingly point out disagreeable habits of others in these groups. We should “wash their feet” as Jesus did. The work of evangelism cannot be done unless the body is healthy and vital.
Chapter 11. The Goal Is Maturity
We reach our “mature manhood” by fulfilling our humanity, being what God had in mind when he made man and woman in the first place. The ultimate end of evangelism is to have people conform to the image of Jesus. The church, the body is designed to take on a mature humanity and fulfill its calling in the world. To do this the body must grow, increasing in the unity of faith and in knowledge of the son. We need to have child-like faith, not a childish, naive faith. Your maturity can be measured by the degree to which you accept the truth about yourself and others in honesty and love. Christianity takes away our worldly props and confronts us with the shock of self-discovery. God has put you where he wants you to be: joined to and working with other Christians in harmony to achieve maturity and growth of the whole body.
Chapter 12. Impact
If the church follows their principles, it will have the same success the early church had. The church must continue the healing ministry of Jesus. Each Christian must put his own spiritual gifts to work so the church can become salt and light in a world of darkness. The author’s own church (PBC) started as a small group and grew from there. He believes that the laymen, not the pastors, should do ministry and evangelism. Small groups in his church multiplied and unique new concepts developed. Their Sunday night Body Life service attracts 850 people regularly, where very personal stories and problems are told spontaneously. New Christians are welcomed on the spot. Love, joy and acceptance prevail. The principles of ministry in Ephesians 4 are still making an impact on the world.
What I got most from this book:
It amazes me how many of the principles stated in this book are being followed by Saddleback Church and thousands of other churches—30 years after this book was written.
Evidently, Ray Stedman was one of the proponents of the use of small groups, which today is the body life of mega-churches, making them real, relevant and personal. I don’t think big churches really work unless they are built on small groups.
And, I totally agree with the author’s thinking about the “saints”. These are common, ordinary people who are energized by the Holy Spirit to do the important daily work of building the church. These are people truly doing what God wants them to do.
Body Life: The Church Comes Alive
by A book Summary by Jim Dernocoeur
Body Life: The Church Comes Alive
By Ray C. Stedman
Publisher: G/L Regal Books, Glendale, CA, 1972
Executive Summary
"The ultimate end of evangelism is to have people conform to the image of Jesus."
This short book, written 30 years ago, points out how today’s church must follow the principles used by the early church to be vital and successful.
A key part of these principles is to develop all church members as “saints” to serve in ministry and expand the church with their evangelism. The duty of the church leaders is to equip the “saints” to do their job effectively.
Each member has unique spiritual gifts to be used for God’s purposes. To have life in the body (the church), we must become mature Christians, not spectators. It is the spirit of Jesus Christ that will energize today’s Christians just as it did centuries ago.
Koinonia is needed … a fellowship of Christians supporting each other. The author points out the effectiveness of small groups and built his own church - Peninsula Bible Church in Palo Alto, California - starting with such groups. So much of what the author, Ray Stedman, wrote is still working today.
Chapter 1. The Most Powerful Force on Earth
The word church conjures up negative, imperfect images for many. This is not the true church of Jesus. Churches combine weeds with wheat. The weeds will burn and the wheat will be harvested. This book describes the nature and function of true Christianity. Most Christians don’t know the Biblical pattern for the operation of the church. We need to rediscover the Biblical pattern. It is written in Paul’s letter to the Ephesians “The church is the world’s most powerful force for good.
Chapter 2. Highest Priority
If Christians are to give intelligent obedience to their Lord, they must give highest priority to understanding what it is He wants them to do and be. We must start with the truth. God chose him (Christ) before the foundation of the world. As Christians we should reflect the character of Jesus. The first aim of the church is to live to the praise and joy of God. God made Jesus the head over all things in the church, which is his body. The task of the church is to make known the manifold wisdom of God. It must be a witness to Christ. We must witness humbly with patience. The church cannot save the world, but the Lord of the church can. Through love we can maintain unity. A risen Christ changes people and societies if we implant Him in our lives.
Chapter 3. Not Union – Unity!
The ecumenical movement has tried to put divergent Christian churches together. Instead of a union, Apostle Paul said we should “be eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.” The church is a body of thousands of cells with one mutually shared life. The hope of all Christians is to be like Jesus and follow Him. Only Jesus is Lord. With Christians, there is one faith, one body of truth. Unity of the spirit overcomes denominational boundaries and urges us to reach out to non-Christians.
Chapter 4. No Exceptions
The life of Jesus is still being manifest among men through the church worldwide in any age. The church operates “by the grace given to each of us according to the measure of Christ’s gift.” Every Christian is provided with spiritual gifts. The Bible enumerates 16 or 17 basic gifts. Some gifts are grouped as ministries and some as workings. All are given through the Spirit. Various gifts are discussed from wisdom and knowledge through prophecy which is stated by Paul as the greatest gift of all. Prophecy speaks to men for their up building, encouragement and consolation. To be successful, church members must recognize and exercise their spiritual gifts … no exceptions.
Chapter 5. Understanding Your Gift
God has equipped us all with a unique set of spiritual gifts. A spiritual gift differs from a natural talent because it improves the spirit of another and helps that person love life and God more. You discover your spiritual talents just like you discover your natural talents. Try those things that appeal to you the most. As you go along, do you see improvement? Be aware of what gifts others see in you. Gifts of the Spirit should be used in the world as well as the church. Christ wants us to reach out to the needy of the world because He loves them all.
Chapter 6. According to the Power
How does the church expect to influence society? Through spiritually gifted people powered by Jesus Christ, His life and death and resurrection. His resurrection power is like no other. It makes no noise. It can overcome all obstacles. It is available to every Christian through faith. The church will never again affect the world as it did in the first century until each Christian utilizes the gifts God has given them through the resurrected Lord.
Chapter 7. How the Body Works
Paul likens the church to a human body and also a building. Four gifts from God make the church work: Apostles, prophets, evangelists and pastor/teachers. Apostles declare the whole body of truth concerning Christ. Jesus is the foundation. A prophet speaks for God and unfolds the mind of God so it is clear and compelling. Evangelists are responsible for growth of the church numerically. Pastor means shepherd. They maintain life in the body by feeding it and preserving its vitality. Some churches evolved into a few super-Christians doing all the work. The early church called all Christians into ministry. Church members have become spectators leaving an unbearable burden on pastors. Pastors must restore ministry to the people and let the Holy Spirit take over. Boldness and power will result.
Chapter 8. Shaping up the Saints
The four offices – apostle, prophet, evangelist and pastor/teacher exist for one purpose—to equip common Christians (the Saints) to do their work of ministry and build-up the body of Christ. Paul said “the men of God must be equipped for every good work.” Preachers comfort the disturbed and disturb the comfortable. Preachers took over as evangelists in the frontier days and churches got boring and shrank. On page 86, the author tells how he pastored a church for 20 years and never held an evangelistic meeting. Evangelism was done by properly-equipped church members. Pastors and elders must be careful not to be powerful, but to serve others. Pastors must capture the interest and attention of their audiences. On pages 91 & 92, the author shows how Paul reached all the people of Ephesus: telling the gospel through common, ordinary saints.
Chapter 9. The Work of the Ministry
Jesus is still at work in the world today through the church – his body. The church is God’s instrument to reach the world. Jesus came to heal people’s spirits, not just their bodies. The divisions of ministry are guided by these Bible verses (Luke 4:18):
The Spirit of the Lord is upon me for he has anointed me.
He has anointed me to preach good news to the poor.
To proclaim release of the captives and recovering of sight to the blind.
To set at liberty those who are oppressed.
To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord.
Many people live in fear and feel history is out of control. But, God is governing human events on his timetable. Ministers are needed to evangelize, teach, pray and explain the times. Christians in their work-a-day lives must do this.
Chapter 10. Keeping the Body Healthy
For the church (body) to be effective, it must be spiritually healthy, vibrant with the spirit of Christ. Body life needs Koinonia (fellowship of Christians). But, many churches concentrate on proclamations instead of Koinonia, which is best done in small groups meeting in homes. There we bear each other’s sins and leaders can offer prayers and consolation. A listening ear can be the greatest Christian gift. We should not be afraid to lovingly point out disagreeable habits of others in these groups. We should “wash their feet” as Jesus did. The work of evangelism cannot be done unless the body is healthy and vital.
Chapter 11. The Goal Is Maturity
We reach our “mature manhood” by fulfilling our humanity, being what God had in mind when he made man and woman in the first place. The ultimate end of evangelism is to have people conform to the image of Jesus. The church, the body is designed to take on a mature humanity and fulfill its calling in the world. To do this the body must grow, increasing in the unity of faith and in knowledge of the son. We need to have child-like faith, not a childish, naive faith. Your maturity can be measured by the degree to which you accept the truth about yourself and others in honesty and love. Christianity takes away our worldly props and confronts us with the shock of self-discovery. God has put you where he wants you to be: joined to and working with other Christians in harmony to achieve maturity and growth of the whole body.
Chapter 12. Impact
If the church follows their principles, it will have the same success the early church had. The church must continue the healing ministry of Jesus. Each Christian must put his own spiritual gifts to work so the church can become salt and light in a world of darkness. The author’s own church (PBC) started as a small group and grew from there. He believes that the laymen, not the pastors, should do ministry and evangelism. Small groups in his church multiplied and unique new concepts developed. Their Sunday night Body Life service attracts 850 people regularly, where very personal stories and problems are told spontaneously. New Christians are welcomed on the spot. Love, joy and acceptance prevail. The principles of ministry in Ephesians 4 are still making an impact on the world.
What I got most from this book:
It amazes me how many of the principles stated in this book are being followed by Saddleback Church and thousands of other churches—30 years after this book was written.
Evidently, Ray Stedman was one of the proponents of the use of small groups, which today is the body life of mega-churches, making them real, relevant and personal. I don’t think big churches really work unless they are built on small groups.
And, I totally agree with the author’s thinking about the “saints”. These are common, ordinary people who are energized by the Holy Spirit to do the important daily work of building the church. These are people truly doing what God wants them to do.
SUMMARY: Renovation of the Heart
http://www.pastors.com/article.asp?printerfriendly=1&ArtID=4053
Book Summary: Renovation of the Heart
by Dallas Willard
Book Summary
Renovation of the Heart: Putting on the Character of Christ
NavPress, ©Copyright 2002
By Dallas Willard
Summary by Staff
The author, Dallas Willard, is a professor and former director of the School of Philosophy at the University of Southern California. He holds a Ph.D. from the University of Wisconsin and has written over 30 publications.
The book is written for someone who recognizes the dreadful, weak human condition of his/her life and truly wants to renovate his/her life and heart so he/she can become a true disciple of Jesus Christ.
It lays out a systematic process for transforming the mind, character, body and soul as we move towards becoming “children of light.” And, it applies these principles not only in people, but also in local church congregations.
This restoration and renovation prepares us for the ultimate presence of God in eternity.
CHAPTER 1 - Introducing Spiritual Formation
We are each born with a spirit that gets altered by the world around us. To become more Christ-like, we must renovate our hearts. Our spirit must be transformed.
Jesus calls to our spirit and says “we cannot live by bread alone.” There is no human solution to renovating the heart. Becoming Christ-like is a gift of grace. Taking God’s love into our hearts becomes a “well of water springing up to eternal life.” This book offers practical ways to help those seeking the kingdom of God and His righteousness.
CHAPTER 2 - The Heart in the System of Human Life
To care for your spirit, you must first understand it. The heart directs life. It is where decisions are made for the whole person. Six aspects of human life are: thought, feeling, choice, body, social context, and soul. The body can become infected with evil, but spiritual formation can transform the body.
The human self must be rooted in others—starting with God. We need to have a right relationship with God and others. The soul interrelates all of the aspects to form one life. The will can reform the soul with God’s help. Our actions arise out of an interplay of all factors. Life under God has this proper order:
1. God
2. Spirit
3. Mind
4. Soul
5. Body
A mind set on flesh is death. Spiritual transformation occurs when each essential dimension is transformed into Christ-likeness by a regimented will and the grace of God. We should get on with the process now, keeping His Word. Evil thrives on confusion. This book lays the foundation for effectual Christian spiritual formation.
CHAPTER 3 - Radical Evil in the Ruined Soul
The soul in most people is in ruin. But, God wants to save each person. We must recognize our brokenness before spiritual transformation can begin.
Many people don’t fear God. The beginning of wisdom is the fear of God. God runs the universe—not us. This is taught to alcoholics in recovery. The human body becomes the primary area of pleasure for those who do not live with God. They deny God’s existence and sins multiply.
When humans think they are God, society will end. A ruined soul is a lost soul. These people are lost because they believe they are in charge. They are obsessed with self. Each is a God unto himself. They may not realize they are lost.
Evil in the human heart should not be ignored. Many intellectuals believe evil is a “non-category.” The ruined soul must first recognize its own ruin. Then, new life in Christ can begin. We should be truly remorseful for our ruined condition or transformation cannot begin.
CHAPTER 4 - Radical Goodness Restored to the Soul
Humans can be restored by abandoning self and devoting their minds to God. Death to “self” is the foundation of Christian spiritual formation. Jesus said we must lose our life to find it. “Carry your own cross and follow me,” Jesus said.
Consider the costs. Discipleship wins. Jesus died for the greater good of God. So, we must sacrifice our old earthly ways and trust God’s agape love. Giving and forgiving are central to the reconstructed life.
Jesus said, “give and it will be given to you ....” Death to self is hard because our habits of thinking, feeling, and willing are poised wrong. Some sensibility to self will remain, but proper discipline and grace will prevent this from taking over. Egotism must die. Radical goodness replaces radical evil in the fallen heart. To say I accept God releases us from having it our way so we don’t return evil with evil and this opens us to restoration of goodness.
CHAPTER 5 - Spiritual Change
Spiritual formation in Christ is the process by which one moves from self-worship to Christ-centered self-denial in God’s present and eternal kingdom. Many church and public leaders have failed. Inner transformation is required.
Belief that we are all “miserable sinners” also blocks spiritual formation. We are running a life race against self. We are never out of danger when we are at home in the body. Another misunderstanding is that man is good apart from God, but no good tree produces bad fruit. Transformation is a gift of grace. To make this transformation work, you need a vision of its benefits and the intention to get it done.
CHAPTER 6 - Transforming the Mind
The first step back from ruin is to turn our thoughts towards God. In our “thought landscape” we make decisions that determine what we will do and become. Ideas and images are two extremely powerful factors.
A person’s culture is based on what we think “naturally.” Spiritual transformation must turn us away from the evil, idea-system of today. To change governing ideas is difficult, and even painful. Images go with ideas but are specific.
Jesus chose the cross to convey His message. It is history’s most powerful image. But, Satan uses ideas and images as temptations to turn people away from God. Images of popularity, success, and power appeal to people who have low self-esteem. We must replace our destructive ideas and images with those in Jesus mind.
To do this we need more information, plus our ability to think. The first task of Jesus' ministry was to inform people about eternal life through Him. Inadequate information leads to “garbage in, garbage out.” To transform spiritually, we must seek out and dwell upon the word of God. God’s grace will help us.
God’s cause on earth will prosper if His people think right. Crooked thinking leads to evil. We need to dwell intelligently and steadily on God. This evolves into worship of Him. As we stand before Him, He will transform our life. Our thoughts will move to the goodness of God in life. Nothing is above His power to do good.
By standing before God, our lives will be transformed. We should engage ourselves with ideas, images, and information from the Bible. Potential dangers in our thought-life with God are: pride, ignorance, allowing our desires to come first and what images we allow to come into our minds.
We should dwell on true, honorable, right, just and lovely things as Paul wrote (Phil 4:8). Apply the VIM structure – vision, intention, means. This chapter dealt with Vision. You must work the Intention with God’s help. The Means will come from memorizing key Bible verses. Input of other good images help.
We also need to walk with and learn from others who have become Christ-like, both past and present. There are bogus books, religions and techniques for self-help. These lack understanding and knowledge of Jesus Christ. Only He can deliver us from ourselves and the powers of darkness.
CHAPTER 7 - Transforming the Mind
Feelings, too, must be changed and restored to God. We must let God be God in dealing with feelings. He helps us avoid temptation. To reach our vision of who we could be, we should become an apprentice of Jesus.
Feelings move us for either good or bad. Good, healthy feelings are essential to a good life. The book of Proverbs lists many feelings that are harmful and helpful. But, we cannot let feelings rule us. We must replace destructive ones. We must simply walk away from destructive feelings. Bad feelings can envelop a whole society. Hatred imprisons minds. We need to listen with reason.
Some people in quiet desperation need a rush of feelings and get hooked on things or actions. “Modernity” has pulverized human solidarity in society. Modern society depends on feelings to make decisions. Self-control is lacking.
A disciplined will under God can overcome sinful feelings. Good images can change bad moods. The feelings that dominate a spiritually transformed mind are: love, joy and peace. Faith and hope are involved. Jesus brought hope to the world. Hope is anticipation of good not seen. Faith is based on trust that God delivers His promises.
We progress from faith to hope, and exult in the glory of God. We take on a godly character and hope that covers our entire life. Faith in Christ inspires hope and the grace of God leads us to a life of love. Love is “will to good.” Lust is purely desire. Lust and pride result in fear. We are loved by God who is love; in turn we love Him and others who in turn love us through Him.
Joy is a pervasive sense that comes in the presence of love. It is produced by the Holy Spirit and fills us. Peace results when you are assured things will turn out well. Peace with God comes by accepting Jesus. He is in control. Nothing can happen to us that will not turn out good.
Peace, love, joy, faith, and hope cannot be separated. They crowd out destructive feelings. We should act by being honest about our feelings, then agree to abandon that which can be destructive. Satan tries to make feelings most important, but spiritual formation in Christ can prevent this and lead to a joyous life and eternity with God.
CHAPTER 8 - Transforming the Will and Character
The condition of our mind is based on the direction our will is set. The will (heart) can change thoughts and feelings in future choices. So, we are responsible for our character.
But, this too can be changed in becoming more like Christ. A transformed heart does what Go wants from us – service to Him and others, and joyous devotion to Him. Will is the core of who we are. It is our spirit through Him. It is meant to be in His keeping through our trust in Him.
God intended for us to have a freely chosen character. Centrality of will and personhood gives a person dignity and makes the person highly-valued. God let’s us make choices. He doesn’t force His will on us.
Many become slaves to their own will, not God’s. The character of a will apart from God is duplicity, deceitfulness, and darkness. God is sensitive to the slightest move of the heart toward Him. He is looking for people who worship Him in spirit and truth. A simple, heartfelt prayer reaches Him. No sophistication required.
As we progress toward being Christ-like, we surrender our will to God’s. Irredeemable harm does not befall us. God is with us—no matter what. We become contented. Then, we want to participate, act. To do this we must overcome our fallen character. We must single-mindedly focus on God.
And not become entangled in untoward desires, our usual inertia. Our primary aim should be to overcome duplicity and malice. We should not mislead or harm people. Learn what God wills for us in the Bible. Spiritual disciplines: solitude, fasting, worship and service let us deal with malice and duplicity. Let God’s sweet will rule and give us an idea of the eternal kingdom.
CHAPTER 9 - Transforming the Body
Our body is part of our spiritual life. It must be our ally, not an impediment. Perversion of the body alienates a person from God. The body lets us liberate energy to work for God. It is our dominion and responsibility.
Negative influences will attack the body. Christ was reincarnated as flesh, body; so our body is also in Christ. We must not succumb to our earthly parts. Because we have God’s grace, sin does not control us. God gives life to our mental body through His Holy Spirit that dwells in us.
Spiritual transformation requires transformation of the body. There is a transitional period because the flesh is weak. We must NOT let our body parts control our actions. The tongue can be devastating. Body and self-orientation is everywhere, but the mind of the flesh passes away while God abides forever.
We don’t own our bodies; God does. Soul disruption causes body disorders, even death. To gain spiritual formation of your body you must:
1. Release your body to God, each and every part.
2. No longer idolize the body.
3. Don’t misuse your body.
4. Honor and care for your body.
We rest our bodies on the Sabbath. We need sleep. Body transformation comes from spiritual transformation.
CHAPTER 10 - Transforming Our Social Dimensions
Our spiritual transformation also affects our relationship with others. We must not assault others or withdraw from them. We must love others as Jesus loved us. This restructures the world for good.
To live, give to others. God is love and He sustains that love for us. To resolve our spiritual formation with social relations we must understand what is wrong with our relationships. The social area of our life is meant to be a play of constant mutual blessings. Instead, we are cold.
Many people don’t know how to be married. Individual demands take over and rule. We are always looking for a better deal. Spiritual malformation in children is the result. Children suffer when parents engage in assault and withdrawal from each other. To heal this, we must be sure marriage relationships include God.
The main elements of spiritual formation are:
1. To be a whole person as God sees us.
2. To abandon defensiveness.
3. To be genuine; avoid pretense.
4. To invite the spirit of God into our social connections.
CHAPTER 11 - Transforming the Soul
Your soul runs your life. When the soul is properly ordered under God, we can face all events of life. Wounded, twisted souls can recover under God’ grace and be restored.
Soul-less life is meaningless, dead, boring. When life’s meaning is absent, we concentrate on performance, even fanaticism. However, the soul will always reassert itself as reality.
Author’s image of the soul is an inner stream of living water flowing from God. This is essential and lies at our deepest level of life and power. Bible refers to God’s soul. It is full of soul references. In spiritual transformation we must regularly check our souls to be sure it is rooted in God. We should be meek and humble knowing that God is in control of all outcomes. Sin and wickedness separate our souls from God. The grace of God’s love restores the soul.
To have a personal relationship with God we must take his laws into our heart. Some want to annul laws. This stops spiritual transformation. A redeemed life lives under the grace of God’s moral law. The most powerful force for a transformed soul “comes from above.”
CHAPTER 12 - The Children of Light and The Light of the World
“Children of the light” move towards eternity in God’s plan. Children of light have been changed inside.
In their thought life: they keep God in the center of their mind.
In their feelings: they love God and people.
In their heart: they do what is good and right.
Their body is poised to do right without thinking.
In their social relations: they are open and non-judgmental.
In their soul: Christ-likeness flows.
Each dimension of the self must be transformed. We can escape the world’s corruption by putting on our best efforts understanding, self-control, perseverance, godliness, kindness and love. Sanctification is the Christianizing of Christians.
Mature children of light serve God with heart, soul, mind and strength. Jesus came as the light of the world and sent His followers to create a worldwide moral revolution. Modern history showed many political leaders felt superior to Christ and committed major atrocities.
Media tries to replace Jesus with John Lennon, Lenin, Mao or Nietzche. The children of light must now show the way out of this dark world. We must lead and teach others about Jesus Christ.
CHAPTER 13 - Formation in the Local Congregation
Renovation of the heart should take place in local churches. Members are in a spiritual hospital in various stages of recovery. Spiritual formation in Christ-likeness should be the primary goal of each local church.
Emphases should be put on principles and absolutes of the New Testament, not on trivia and distractions. Too much time is wasted on the “vessel,” i.e., church rules and regulations and not enough on the “treasure” of being like Christ.
Many conservative churches get people ready to die and go to heaven, rather than putting heaven into people. Jesus said “As you go throughout the world, make apprentices to me from all kinds of people, immerse them in Trinitarian reality and teach them to do everything I have commanded you.”
God’s plan for spiritual formation in local congregations has 3 stages:
1. Make disciples of Jesus.
2. Immerse all apprentices in the Trinitarian presence.
3. Transform disciples so that doing the words and deeds of Christ is the natural outcome.
To be a disciple we must give up our life. This can be a big problem for many. Use people who are disciples as leaders. In stage 2, regarding Trinitarian presence, you will feel the manifest presence of the Holy Spirit. Stage 3 in God’s plan for growth of local congregations is based on spiritual transformation of disciples.
People choose to believe. We must try to get people to understand the truth. God will do the rest. Regularly attending church service is not enough. Spiritual reformation is deep and may start with a few.
A congregation will be stabilized and drawn onward if it does two things:
1. Openly expect the apprentices to learn and do the things Jesus taught us.
2. Announce that you teach people to do the things Jesus said to do.
Ordinary people can become apprentices. Putting on the character of Jesus in this life prepares us for a glorious entry into the full presence of God.
Book Summary: Renovation of the Heart
by Dallas Willard
Book Summary
Renovation of the Heart: Putting on the Character of Christ
NavPress, ©Copyright 2002
By Dallas Willard
Summary by Staff
The author, Dallas Willard, is a professor and former director of the School of Philosophy at the University of Southern California. He holds a Ph.D. from the University of Wisconsin and has written over 30 publications.
The book is written for someone who recognizes the dreadful, weak human condition of his/her life and truly wants to renovate his/her life and heart so he/she can become a true disciple of Jesus Christ.
It lays out a systematic process for transforming the mind, character, body and soul as we move towards becoming “children of light.” And, it applies these principles not only in people, but also in local church congregations.
This restoration and renovation prepares us for the ultimate presence of God in eternity.
CHAPTER 1 - Introducing Spiritual Formation
We are each born with a spirit that gets altered by the world around us. To become more Christ-like, we must renovate our hearts. Our spirit must be transformed.
Jesus calls to our spirit and says “we cannot live by bread alone.” There is no human solution to renovating the heart. Becoming Christ-like is a gift of grace. Taking God’s love into our hearts becomes a “well of water springing up to eternal life.” This book offers practical ways to help those seeking the kingdom of God and His righteousness.
CHAPTER 2 - The Heart in the System of Human Life
To care for your spirit, you must first understand it. The heart directs life. It is where decisions are made for the whole person. Six aspects of human life are: thought, feeling, choice, body, social context, and soul. The body can become infected with evil, but spiritual formation can transform the body.
The human self must be rooted in others—starting with God. We need to have a right relationship with God and others. The soul interrelates all of the aspects to form one life. The will can reform the soul with God’s help. Our actions arise out of an interplay of all factors. Life under God has this proper order:
1. God
2. Spirit
3. Mind
4. Soul
5. Body
A mind set on flesh is death. Spiritual transformation occurs when each essential dimension is transformed into Christ-likeness by a regimented will and the grace of God. We should get on with the process now, keeping His Word. Evil thrives on confusion. This book lays the foundation for effectual Christian spiritual formation.
CHAPTER 3 - Radical Evil in the Ruined Soul
The soul in most people is in ruin. But, God wants to save each person. We must recognize our brokenness before spiritual transformation can begin.
Many people don’t fear God. The beginning of wisdom is the fear of God. God runs the universe—not us. This is taught to alcoholics in recovery. The human body becomes the primary area of pleasure for those who do not live with God. They deny God’s existence and sins multiply.
When humans think they are God, society will end. A ruined soul is a lost soul. These people are lost because they believe they are in charge. They are obsessed with self. Each is a God unto himself. They may not realize they are lost.
Evil in the human heart should not be ignored. Many intellectuals believe evil is a “non-category.” The ruined soul must first recognize its own ruin. Then, new life in Christ can begin. We should be truly remorseful for our ruined condition or transformation cannot begin.
CHAPTER 4 - Radical Goodness Restored to the Soul
Humans can be restored by abandoning self and devoting their minds to God. Death to “self” is the foundation of Christian spiritual formation. Jesus said we must lose our life to find it. “Carry your own cross and follow me,” Jesus said.
Consider the costs. Discipleship wins. Jesus died for the greater good of God. So, we must sacrifice our old earthly ways and trust God’s agape love. Giving and forgiving are central to the reconstructed life.
Jesus said, “give and it will be given to you ....” Death to self is hard because our habits of thinking, feeling, and willing are poised wrong. Some sensibility to self will remain, but proper discipline and grace will prevent this from taking over. Egotism must die. Radical goodness replaces radical evil in the fallen heart. To say I accept God releases us from having it our way so we don’t return evil with evil and this opens us to restoration of goodness.
CHAPTER 5 - Spiritual Change
Spiritual formation in Christ is the process by which one moves from self-worship to Christ-centered self-denial in God’s present and eternal kingdom. Many church and public leaders have failed. Inner transformation is required.
Belief that we are all “miserable sinners” also blocks spiritual formation. We are running a life race against self. We are never out of danger when we are at home in the body. Another misunderstanding is that man is good apart from God, but no good tree produces bad fruit. Transformation is a gift of grace. To make this transformation work, you need a vision of its benefits and the intention to get it done.
CHAPTER 6 - Transforming the Mind
The first step back from ruin is to turn our thoughts towards God. In our “thought landscape” we make decisions that determine what we will do and become. Ideas and images are two extremely powerful factors.
A person’s culture is based on what we think “naturally.” Spiritual transformation must turn us away from the evil, idea-system of today. To change governing ideas is difficult, and even painful. Images go with ideas but are specific.
Jesus chose the cross to convey His message. It is history’s most powerful image. But, Satan uses ideas and images as temptations to turn people away from God. Images of popularity, success, and power appeal to people who have low self-esteem. We must replace our destructive ideas and images with those in Jesus mind.
To do this we need more information, plus our ability to think. The first task of Jesus' ministry was to inform people about eternal life through Him. Inadequate information leads to “garbage in, garbage out.” To transform spiritually, we must seek out and dwell upon the word of God. God’s grace will help us.
God’s cause on earth will prosper if His people think right. Crooked thinking leads to evil. We need to dwell intelligently and steadily on God. This evolves into worship of Him. As we stand before Him, He will transform our life. Our thoughts will move to the goodness of God in life. Nothing is above His power to do good.
By standing before God, our lives will be transformed. We should engage ourselves with ideas, images, and information from the Bible. Potential dangers in our thought-life with God are: pride, ignorance, allowing our desires to come first and what images we allow to come into our minds.
We should dwell on true, honorable, right, just and lovely things as Paul wrote (Phil 4:8). Apply the VIM structure – vision, intention, means. This chapter dealt with Vision. You must work the Intention with God’s help. The Means will come from memorizing key Bible verses. Input of other good images help.
We also need to walk with and learn from others who have become Christ-like, both past and present. There are bogus books, religions and techniques for self-help. These lack understanding and knowledge of Jesus Christ. Only He can deliver us from ourselves and the powers of darkness.
CHAPTER 7 - Transforming the Mind
Feelings, too, must be changed and restored to God. We must let God be God in dealing with feelings. He helps us avoid temptation. To reach our vision of who we could be, we should become an apprentice of Jesus.
Feelings move us for either good or bad. Good, healthy feelings are essential to a good life. The book of Proverbs lists many feelings that are harmful and helpful. But, we cannot let feelings rule us. We must replace destructive ones. We must simply walk away from destructive feelings. Bad feelings can envelop a whole society. Hatred imprisons minds. We need to listen with reason.
Some people in quiet desperation need a rush of feelings and get hooked on things or actions. “Modernity” has pulverized human solidarity in society. Modern society depends on feelings to make decisions. Self-control is lacking.
A disciplined will under God can overcome sinful feelings. Good images can change bad moods. The feelings that dominate a spiritually transformed mind are: love, joy and peace. Faith and hope are involved. Jesus brought hope to the world. Hope is anticipation of good not seen. Faith is based on trust that God delivers His promises.
We progress from faith to hope, and exult in the glory of God. We take on a godly character and hope that covers our entire life. Faith in Christ inspires hope and the grace of God leads us to a life of love. Love is “will to good.” Lust is purely desire. Lust and pride result in fear. We are loved by God who is love; in turn we love Him and others who in turn love us through Him.
Joy is a pervasive sense that comes in the presence of love. It is produced by the Holy Spirit and fills us. Peace results when you are assured things will turn out well. Peace with God comes by accepting Jesus. He is in control. Nothing can happen to us that will not turn out good.
Peace, love, joy, faith, and hope cannot be separated. They crowd out destructive feelings. We should act by being honest about our feelings, then agree to abandon that which can be destructive. Satan tries to make feelings most important, but spiritual formation in Christ can prevent this and lead to a joyous life and eternity with God.
CHAPTER 8 - Transforming the Will and Character
The condition of our mind is based on the direction our will is set. The will (heart) can change thoughts and feelings in future choices. So, we are responsible for our character.
But, this too can be changed in becoming more like Christ. A transformed heart does what Go wants from us – service to Him and others, and joyous devotion to Him. Will is the core of who we are. It is our spirit through Him. It is meant to be in His keeping through our trust in Him.
God intended for us to have a freely chosen character. Centrality of will and personhood gives a person dignity and makes the person highly-valued. God let’s us make choices. He doesn’t force His will on us.
Many become slaves to their own will, not God’s. The character of a will apart from God is duplicity, deceitfulness, and darkness. God is sensitive to the slightest move of the heart toward Him. He is looking for people who worship Him in spirit and truth. A simple, heartfelt prayer reaches Him. No sophistication required.
As we progress toward being Christ-like, we surrender our will to God’s. Irredeemable harm does not befall us. God is with us—no matter what. We become contented. Then, we want to participate, act. To do this we must overcome our fallen character. We must single-mindedly focus on God.
And not become entangled in untoward desires, our usual inertia. Our primary aim should be to overcome duplicity and malice. We should not mislead or harm people. Learn what God wills for us in the Bible. Spiritual disciplines: solitude, fasting, worship and service let us deal with malice and duplicity. Let God’s sweet will rule and give us an idea of the eternal kingdom.
CHAPTER 9 - Transforming the Body
Our body is part of our spiritual life. It must be our ally, not an impediment. Perversion of the body alienates a person from God. The body lets us liberate energy to work for God. It is our dominion and responsibility.
Negative influences will attack the body. Christ was reincarnated as flesh, body; so our body is also in Christ. We must not succumb to our earthly parts. Because we have God’s grace, sin does not control us. God gives life to our mental body through His Holy Spirit that dwells in us.
Spiritual transformation requires transformation of the body. There is a transitional period because the flesh is weak. We must NOT let our body parts control our actions. The tongue can be devastating. Body and self-orientation is everywhere, but the mind of the flesh passes away while God abides forever.
We don’t own our bodies; God does. Soul disruption causes body disorders, even death. To gain spiritual formation of your body you must:
1. Release your body to God, each and every part.
2. No longer idolize the body.
3. Don’t misuse your body.
4. Honor and care for your body.
We rest our bodies on the Sabbath. We need sleep. Body transformation comes from spiritual transformation.
CHAPTER 10 - Transforming Our Social Dimensions
Our spiritual transformation also affects our relationship with others. We must not assault others or withdraw from them. We must love others as Jesus loved us. This restructures the world for good.
To live, give to others. God is love and He sustains that love for us. To resolve our spiritual formation with social relations we must understand what is wrong with our relationships. The social area of our life is meant to be a play of constant mutual blessings. Instead, we are cold.
Many people don’t know how to be married. Individual demands take over and rule. We are always looking for a better deal. Spiritual malformation in children is the result. Children suffer when parents engage in assault and withdrawal from each other. To heal this, we must be sure marriage relationships include God.
The main elements of spiritual formation are:
1. To be a whole person as God sees us.
2. To abandon defensiveness.
3. To be genuine; avoid pretense.
4. To invite the spirit of God into our social connections.
CHAPTER 11 - Transforming the Soul
Your soul runs your life. When the soul is properly ordered under God, we can face all events of life. Wounded, twisted souls can recover under God’ grace and be restored.
Soul-less life is meaningless, dead, boring. When life’s meaning is absent, we concentrate on performance, even fanaticism. However, the soul will always reassert itself as reality.
Author’s image of the soul is an inner stream of living water flowing from God. This is essential and lies at our deepest level of life and power. Bible refers to God’s soul. It is full of soul references. In spiritual transformation we must regularly check our souls to be sure it is rooted in God. We should be meek and humble knowing that God is in control of all outcomes. Sin and wickedness separate our souls from God. The grace of God’s love restores the soul.
To have a personal relationship with God we must take his laws into our heart. Some want to annul laws. This stops spiritual transformation. A redeemed life lives under the grace of God’s moral law. The most powerful force for a transformed soul “comes from above.”
CHAPTER 12 - The Children of Light and The Light of the World
“Children of the light” move towards eternity in God’s plan. Children of light have been changed inside.
In their thought life: they keep God in the center of their mind.
In their feelings: they love God and people.
In their heart: they do what is good and right.
Their body is poised to do right without thinking.
In their social relations: they are open and non-judgmental.
In their soul: Christ-likeness flows.
Each dimension of the self must be transformed. We can escape the world’s corruption by putting on our best efforts understanding, self-control, perseverance, godliness, kindness and love. Sanctification is the Christianizing of Christians.
Mature children of light serve God with heart, soul, mind and strength. Jesus came as the light of the world and sent His followers to create a worldwide moral revolution. Modern history showed many political leaders felt superior to Christ and committed major atrocities.
Media tries to replace Jesus with John Lennon, Lenin, Mao or Nietzche. The children of light must now show the way out of this dark world. We must lead and teach others about Jesus Christ.
CHAPTER 13 - Formation in the Local Congregation
Renovation of the heart should take place in local churches. Members are in a spiritual hospital in various stages of recovery. Spiritual formation in Christ-likeness should be the primary goal of each local church.
Emphases should be put on principles and absolutes of the New Testament, not on trivia and distractions. Too much time is wasted on the “vessel,” i.e., church rules and regulations and not enough on the “treasure” of being like Christ.
Many conservative churches get people ready to die and go to heaven, rather than putting heaven into people. Jesus said “As you go throughout the world, make apprentices to me from all kinds of people, immerse them in Trinitarian reality and teach them to do everything I have commanded you.”
God’s plan for spiritual formation in local congregations has 3 stages:
1. Make disciples of Jesus.
2. Immerse all apprentices in the Trinitarian presence.
3. Transform disciples so that doing the words and deeds of Christ is the natural outcome.
To be a disciple we must give up our life. This can be a big problem for many. Use people who are disciples as leaders. In stage 2, regarding Trinitarian presence, you will feel the manifest presence of the Holy Spirit. Stage 3 in God’s plan for growth of local congregations is based on spiritual transformation of disciples.
People choose to believe. We must try to get people to understand the truth. God will do the rest. Regularly attending church service is not enough. Spiritual reformation is deep and may start with a few.
A congregation will be stabilized and drawn onward if it does two things:
1. Openly expect the apprentices to learn and do the things Jesus taught us.
2. Announce that you teach people to do the things Jesus said to do.
Ordinary people can become apprentices. Putting on the character of Jesus in this life prepares us for a glorious entry into the full presence of God.
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