I led a Bible study during the lunch hour with office and blue-collar workers at a manufacturing firm. We studied Old Testament covenants and how Christ fulfilled them in Matthew. Management decided the office staff and production workers should have separate lunch breaks at different times. I asked Joe, a friend from church, “How would…
Most Christians live for this world, not for Christ. Because their lives aren’t distinct from others, people avoid the church and Christianity. Luke 12 explains the Biblical convictions derived from discipleship.
Gary Comer lists the Disclosure window as one of the 10 key mission skills in his book, Remission. A Christian shares present personal sins or struggles to convey grace and Christ’s power, which opens up the dialogue with a non-believer. Luke 11 shows how
Working in the church used to mean performing one’s gift in the world whether it was at home, at work or in the mission field. Now it means a religious act performed within a building called the church. In the book of Acts, everyone was a missionary involved in the work of the church. Today,…
It’s much easier and seemingly more effective to adopt the world’s way instead of the unpredictable and messy ways of the Spirit. Child raising becomes simplier and straight forward if we get our children to conform instead of the uncertain outcomes in relating to their spirits and uniqueness. Marking things off our to-do list takes…
A tipping point is a culmination of a build-up of small changes that effects a big change. Malcolm Gladwell popularized the concept in his book, “The Tipping Point: How Little Things Can Make a Big Difference,” showing examples of technologies, procedures, services or philosophies reaching critical mass and becoming mainstream. In New York City, for example,…
God’s way of ministry is completely opposed to the world’s. The world says to trust your strategic plan. God says to listen and obey Him. The world says to have all your resources, including finances in place, before proceeding with ministry. God says to trust Him and move forward even when it’s not all figured out…
I often think that God wants me to move quickly or make a big splash when it comes to ministry. It’s just the opposite. In the kingdom of God, He is looking for receptive people who trust God to grow the ministry from small beginnings. Human strategies often get in the way of God working…
Since becoming a believer, I have observed the difficulty in maintaining a balance between building up believers and reaching those outside the faith. Embracing the two Great Commandments of loving God with all our heart, mind and soul & loving our neighbor as ourselves empowers us to make disciples (Matt. 22:34-40; 28:18-20). Churches often try…
Just as there are three important factors in real estate (location, location, location), there are three important factors in living a Kingdom lifestyle. I often think it’s about my efforts. As a result, I don’t take time to pray. If we want to model the life of Christ in living a Kingdom lifestyle, what are…
I did not like church growing up. Sitting in my pew, my stomach reminded me of lunch and then visions of watching a NFL football game. Lastly, I would think about my homework, which was put off until Sunday night. If someone mentioned God’s kingdom, I would stare at them and ask, “So what!” It…