“With all the hostility coming toward Christians from secularism and progressive ideology,” he asked, “why not punch Left instead of Right?” Evangelicals “attacking our own side” on such matters will only cause unbelievers to hate us more and Christians to trust their leaders less. … More “Why Not Punch Left?” (Russell Moore)
What gives is that Paul has a very different notion of evangelism than we modern evangelicals do. Paul is not interested in training his churches on how to initiate gospel conversations with their friends and family, nor is he concerned with teaching them how to present the four spiritual laws to a passerby on the street. Paul’s vision of evangelism does not look like ours. … More Wise Evangelism
“Rejoice with me because I have found my lost sheep.” LUKE 15 Just a reminder that I am breathing new life into many old devotionals with my Daily Illumination Audio podcast. It’s a lot of fun to “perform” these old stories in audio format. This past week, for example, I shared this piece on Chasing Lambs. … More Chasing Lambs
“Beloved brethren, we are philosophers not in words but in deeds; we exhibit our wisdom not by our dress, but by truth; we know virtues by their practice rather than through boasting of them; we do not speak great things but we live them.” -St. Cyprian (AD 256) … More Words of Wisdom: Cyprian (AD 256)
You know you’ve successfully launched a social revolution when even non-coffee drinkers like me are regularly heard saying, “Hey, wanna grab coffee this week?” … More Apostle Paul at Starbucks
As a 6′-7″ tall dude, I’ve had a hard time relating to Zacchaeus, the “wee little man” who couldn’t see Jesus because of the crowd. In a crowd of people, I am the “tree” that many are trying to see around! … More A New Vantage Point
This Sunday I’m preaching a Pentecost sermon on our divided world, and the need for the church to learn, speak and embody a new language. I’m reposting an old seminary essay from 2004 on the same topic. (This one is for the Bible/Theology nerds out there.) “Your very lives are a letter that anyone can read by just … More The Church as God’s New Language
“Jesus went throughout all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues and PROCLAIMING THE GOSPEL of the kingdom and healing every disease and every affliction. When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest … More Do Millennials Think Evangelism is Wrong?
She’s always bringing sweets to share. Maybe it betrays her own sweet tooth, but I think it reveals a sweet and giving heart. Yet, the story of how Tina started coming to MainStreet is much more bittersweet. I (Jeremy) heard the sad news on a snowy February day almost 3 years ago. Tina’s son … More Tina’s Story
The question of the evangelist should be: “If you don’t die tonight, what are you going to do tomorrow?” And the answer should be: “I’m going to trust Jesus with all my life, with everything, and that will allow me to live in the Kingdom of God.” -DALLAS WILLARD
One of the highlights of my ministry in my hometown is also one of the most painful experiences. In the summer of 2012, the City of Mound celebrated its 100th birthday during our annual City Days festival in July. A group of pastors I met with regularly began to coordinate with city leaders to organize … More Me & Billy G – Evangelistic & Ecumenical
In this series I’m sharing some of the Scriptures that have most radically influenced my own life and faith. Read full series here. I love the moment in The Lord of the Rings when Samwise turns to Frodo and asks, “I wonder what kind of a tale we’ve fallen into?” The two hobbits perceptively realized that their … More LIFE VERSES 9: Acts 17:17
Christmas Eve is a great opportunity for churches to share the good news of the gospel with many unbelievers — sometimes hearing it for the first time. Pastors should give a clear invitation to respond in faith to the message of the gospel. I plan to do this. I can’t wait to do this! But there … More Relax Pastor, God Saves!
I’m reposting a short series of reflections on Paul’s ministry in the pagan metropolis of Corinth and how he went about proclaiming the gospel and making disciples in a very unbelieving culture. The apostle Paul writes (using The Message paraphrase): “The Message that points to Christ on the Cross seems like sheer silliness to those hellbent … More Gospeling in Corinth 1: God-Logic
8 “Then he said to his servants, ‘The wedding banquet is ready, but those I invited did not deserve to come. 9 So go to the street corners and invite to the banquet anyone you find.’ 10So the servants went out into the streets and gathered all the people they could find, the bad as well as the good, … More PARABLES: Let’s Party 3 (Matt. 22:1-14)
I want to commend David Mathis’ challenge to Christians as we approach Halloween this year. Thanks, Nancy, for sending me this. What if a crisp October wind blew through “the way we’ve always done things” at Halloween? What if the Spirit stirred in us a new perspective on October 31? What if dads led their … More ‘Halloween on Mission’ (David Mathis)
Here’s a great evangelism resource from James Choung. Can you articulate the full story of the gospel and what God’s doing in the world in Christ through the church? Here’s a great start.
Kingdom Harbor 