How to Build a Collaborative Team Culture

February 19, 2017

thank you notes for children’s ministry volunteers

As leaders who care about the people we lead, we tend to vacillate between being empowering of our team and being directive with them. These two things are not mutually exclusive, of course, but we sometimes view the two approaches as being on either end of a spectrum. Should I tell the team what I want them to do or should I let them create on their own?

What can be especially confusing in any organization is when we adopt one approach on some days, and the other approach on other days. People may wonder which leader they’re going to get—the one who says, ‘Go for it!’ or the one who says, ‘Not so fast!’

Taking my cues from Stephen Covey, Andy Crouch and others, I believe that many of the concepts that we often lay on as opposites on a single line can be re-plotted on a 2×2 graph that shows what happens when both co-exist.

1. Unclear Vision-Low Freedom
Beginning with the bottom left, when a leader has a low or unclear vision and gives low freedom, the organizational culture is crazy. As in, it’s a madhouse. No one knows what’s going on, or why we’re doing anything, and worse yet, no one can speak up or change things. I doubt many of us could survive for very long in an environment like that.

2. Unclear Vision-High Freedom
Then, in the top left, when a leader has low or unclear vision but provides high freedom to the team, it is chaos. This is like how the writer in the biblical book of Judges describes Israel: ‘Everyone did what was right in his own eyes.’ In an organization like like this, silos develop, people jostle for power and control, no one really knows who is in charge. People are unclear of the ‘why’ for any of their actions, so they only do the things they like or enjoy or believe in. There is freedom, but no vision.

3. Clear Vision-Low Freedom
Over in the bottom right is a depiction of what results when a leader gives plenty of vision but provides little to no freedom: clones. When a leader functions like this, he or she will stop attracting innovative thinkers and creative leaders. They will only have good foot soldiers. Now, don’t get me wrong: Every organization needs loyal people who are happy to execute the task. But organizations that renew themselves require a team of leaders who are not afraid to dream out loud, challenge the status quo and re-imagine the future. Yet all this must be done within the organization’s culture and values. In short, there must be both freedom and vision.

4. Clear Vision-High Freedom
Which leads us to the box on the top right. When a leader provides a clear and compelling vision and a high degree of freedom, collaboration results. Strong leaders stop competing with one another because they understand their shared goal. Creative thinkers aren’t sidelined or bored because they are tasked not with simply executing a plan, but with imagining better ways to achieve their shared goal.

Applying this…
I think that there are different ways for leaders to provide clear vision and high freedom, ways that fit the leader’s strengths and personalities. (For example, think of the difference between a quarterback and a point guard. Both may call plays, but the amount of improvisation from the team differs.) Furthermore, each team member may differ in the amount of freedom or vision they need. Some people freeze with indecision when they are given the same of freedom that another person requires; other people may wilt under the amount of vision that another person loves.

I am grateful to work in a place where both freedom and vision are cherished. Though we don’t have it all figured out, a collaborative culture is something we strive to create and to steward at New Life. So, in my ongoing quest to grow as a leader, I am making it a goal to listen to my team better in order to make sure they feel they have the right combination and freedom and vision to thrive and collaborate.

Multiplying Disciple-Makers: Five Ways to Make Disciples Who Make Disciples

Alvin Reid

February 19, 2017

How do we help believers grow? How do we make disciples who make disciples?

How well do we do this? Not terribly well, in part because of our approach. In most churches, there are two primary ways we seek to grow believers as disciples of Jesus.

(1) Through PREACHING or the PULPIT. This is a good thing. It’s a biblical thing. Preaching expositionally, faithfully teaching the Word matters.

(2) Through PROGRAMS. We help believers grow through small group ministry and through a variety of classes aimed at helping them to pray, read the Bible, witness, etc. This also matters and has helped many.

These have been the primary ways we grow disciples. They should be foundational to our churches. But these have limitations. First, they of necessity focus on the lowest common denominator. When you preach to the whole congregation you must give focus to teaching the whole group, making specific, practical application difficult. In the same way, small groups and classes aim at presenting truth to all participants. Second, they focus on the few not the many. Only a few people preach, for instance. And not everyone leads a small group. If you have a church of 100 people, you may have one preacher and 10 small group leaders, which leaves 89 still learning passively.

There is a third, vital way we must grow disciples:

(3) Through PARENTS. We don’t emphasize this enough, but the most important discipler in the home is a Christian parent. Even if we do this well, that still leaves a lot of people who aren’t parents, or preachers, or leaders of programs. Let me add a couple more vital ways we must make disciples who make disciples.

(4) MENTORING. To go deeper than the one-size-fits-all, lowest common denominator approach, we need to get more personal. Not everyone is a preacher, group leader or parent, but every growing believer can be a mentor to someone. This is vital and must have a growing place in our churches. We give too much credit to pastors (I say this as a pastor) and not enough to all believers who can mentor another. This is the genius of Paul’s advice to Timothy in II Timothy 2:1-2.

If you have known Christ for a while, you can be a mentor. My colleague George Robinson and I wrote a book about this to help you called WITH. You can get it here.

(5) Developing SELF-FEEDERS. Ultimately, we want to help people grow so they can feed themselves on the Word. We all need the community of the local church (Paul tells Timothy to pass on things “in the presence of many witnesses” in II Timothy 2:2), but each of us is a saint. We have the Holy Spirit to guide us, the Word to instruct us and Jesus to lead us. This final aspect of growth must be tied to those above, but cannot be ignored, either.

ALL believers can be self-feeders. Most believers (all who actively seek to grow) can mentor another. While the first three are foundational, they are not what we need in total.

Here’s why this matters. Paul offers four generations of disciples who make disciples in II Timothy 2:2: Paul invests in (1st Generation) Timothy who would invest in (2nd Generation) Faithful men who would invest in (3rd Generation) Others (4th Generation). This is multiplication vs addition.

Here’s the difference:

If a father gives one son $1 a week for a year, and another son $.01 a week for a year, but it doubles each week, who gets more?

The first son in a year by addition will make $52.
The second son by multiplication will make $22,517,998,136,852.48.

Here’s another example: A man is a fantastic evangelist who wins 1,000 to Christ daily (he must be on TV!). At the end of the year: 365,000 saved! That is wonderful. But a second man wins only one to Christ in a year, but spends much time helping him to grow in the gospel. At the end of the year: one is saved. BUT:

In 25 years, the first man will have won to Christ 9,125,000
In 25 years, the second man who disciples one, and each disciples one each year, will have won to Christ 33,554,432!

We must not do less than preach faithfully, program well and help parents equip their children in the church. But we must do MORE: We must elevate mentoring’s role, and we must help believers feed themselves on the Word if we will make disciples who make disciples.

*Note: This is adapted from a message I preached at Richland Creek Community Church. You can listen to it here.

6 Tough Things That Might Be on Your Pastor’s Mind Today

Chuck Lawless

February 19, 2017

Monday is the start of a new work week for most of us. The new beginning is often a good thing—a chance to start afresh. For pastors, though, Mondays can be days of heavy burden based on a weekend of ministry. Here are some things that might be on your pastor’s mind today:

“I wish I hadn’t said it that way.” Most of us critique our sermons for days after we’ve preached them. They’re still rattling around in our head on Monday, especially if we think we bombed.
“I don’t think I saw ________ here yesterday.” You can fill in the blank with that church member’s name. We often recognize when somebody’s missing, particularly if their absence is becoming regular.
“Attendance was down again.” Nobody wants to be driven by numbers, but we do check them. Downward trends can dominate our thinking.
“We need to deal with that problem.” Whatever that “problem” is, it often comes to light on a Sunday, when we have the least time to deal with it. It waits for us on Monday.
“Wow—the giving was down yesterday.” When the dollars are down, the stress often goes up, especially if salaries are at stake.
“I wonder if I’m supposed to be the pastor of this church.” Most of us have this question at some point. Sometimes it’s God leading us away; at other times, it’s just frustration speaking.

On the other hand, here’s the faith statement that I hope is on your pastor’s mind today: “It’s a new week. Let’s get focused and serve God well.”

Say a prayer for your pastors as they begin this week.

10 Fiction Classics for Churches to Read and Discuss

February 19, 2017

Few Christians would argue that reading scripture, wrestling with its meaning and striving to embody it faithfully are essential practices of our faith. In my recent book Reading for the Common Good, however, I argue that it is healthy for churches to read and discuss a broad range of books that help us understand and embody the scriptural story in our own neighborhoods.

I have also written a companion pamphlet titled 101 Transformative Books for Churches to Read and Discuss, that offers a broad range of classic books—on topics from theology to church history to economics to poetry and aesthetics—that churches would benefit from reading and discussing together. (Download a FREE PDF copy of this pamphlet from The Englewood Review of Books website).

Here are 10 fiction classics (nine novels and a play) selected from this list of 101 books, along with brief descriptions of why I believe that reading each one of these could be transformative.

What makes for a good and compelling story?

Scripture is, above all else, a story, and we must learn to find ourselves in it and discern what it means to navigate its twists and turns faithfully. Literature can be an immense asset to us in this work; in reading the fictional stories of other people in other times and places, we catch glimpses of ourselves, and we also are afforded insight into the dynamics of a good and compelling story. Through reflecting on literature in this way, we will be challenged to live better and more faithful stories in our own contexts.

Inferno – Dante
DOWNLOAD HERE (Project Gutenberg)

Dante’s epic lyrical work in three parts, The Divine Comedy, is undoubtedly one of the most theologically important works of fiction in the Christian era. Given the mammoth size of this complete work, I am only recommending the first part, The Inferno, which describes Dante’s journey through hell and particularly the effects of the seven deadly sins (defining in essence seven of the nine circles of hell). Through this story, Dante offers us a rich theological exploration of sin and the ways that it binds us as humans.

The Tempest – William Shakespeare
DOWNLOAD HERE (Project Gutenberg)

Like Hamlet and many of Shakespeare’s other plays, The Tempest explores the struggle for power. In this play in particular, Shakespeare raises questions about the nature of justice and how that justice should be pursued. These questions are ones that are still strikingly relevant in the 21st century.

Pride and Prejudice – Jane Austen
DOWNLOAD HERE (Project Gutenberg)

Perhaps the most familiar of Austen’s novels, Pride and Prejudice offers us plenty of opportunities to talk about gender, class, family, marriage and hopes for marriage in Austen’s day as well as in our own. The contrast between the two eras might itself be a topic of conversation.

Walk in the Light – Leo Tolstoy
DOWNLOAD HERE (Google Books)
PDF – Printable or readable on e-reader of your choice.

In this Tolstoy novella, lesser known than his hefty works such as War and Peace or Anna Karenina, Tolstoy stirs our imaginations with a story of conversion and Christian faithfulness in a world in which Christianity was a marginal faith. This work has particular relevance in the 21st century when Christianity again is rapidly becoming marginalized. It also breathes life into an era of the church’s history that many of us will not be familiar with.

The Idiot – Fyodor Dostoevsky
DOWNLOAD HERE (Project Gutenberg)

Prince Myshkin, the title and central character of this novel, is a sort of Christ figure who lives with a simplicity and goodness that is reminiscent of Jesus. Dostoevsky sets out to depict “the positively good and beautiful man” and the conflicts that he will inevitably face amidst the powers embodied in modern culture. This novel offers us much to discuss about what it means to follow in the way of Jesus and the opposition that we will likely face as we do so in the modern world.

Middlemarch – George Eliot

DOWNLOAD HERE (Project Gutenberg)

Perhaps George Eliot’s best-known novel, Middlemarch explores the life of a small, rural, British town in the mid-19th century. Eliot addresses the nature of marriage, and particularly the popular conceptions in her day of marriage and class. Reading this novel together will challenge us to reflect on our own ideas of marriage and how they give shape to our lives and to those of our children.

Phantastes – George MacDonald

DOWNLOAD HERE (Project Gutenberg)

C.S. Lewis once declared that it was this novel that baptized his imagination, and indeed by portraying a fairy world that is quite other from our own, MacDonald will help us imagine worlds outside the one in which we presently live. It is not difficult to see the influence that this novel had on Lewis, and especially on his Chronicles of Narnia. Phantastes undoubtedly paved the way for the future of fantasy and science fiction novels that would follow almost a century later.

O Pioneers! – Willa Cather
DOWNLOAD HERE (Project Gutenberg)

Willa Cather, in O Pioneers! (the first of a trilogy of novels about the experience of a pioneer family in Nebraska), captures vividly not only the pioneer experience, but the very essence of what it means to belong to a place and to live a life within the contours of that place. In doing so, she provides us with much to discuss about what it means for us to belong to our places, to be defined by them, and to seek their continued flourishing.

The Jungle – Upton Sinclair
DOWNLOAD HERE (Project Gutenberg)

Sinclair wrote this novel to illuminate the harsh lives of immigrants and other workers amidst the rise of urban industrialism in the early 20th century. The Jungle offers us much to consider about the nature of industrialism and the lives of those who live on the margins of society. What are the things that a socially engaged writer like Sinclair would write about in the early 21st century?

Main Street – Sinclair Lewis
DOWNLOAD HERE (Project Gutenberg)

Main Street is based on Lewis’ experience growing up in a small town in Minnesota, and it depicts the challenges of living in that environment. This novel offers us much to discuss about the nature of a place and how we live in it, especially when we are not native to it or are marginalized by it. Although this novel provides keen insight into small town life, Lewis’ work deserves our scrutiny: Was he being too harsh? What are the benefits (in addition to the challenges) of small town life.

God Is Giving Christians a Unique Opportunity

Joe McKeever

February 17, 2017

“…so that you may be blameless and pure, children of God who are faultless in a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you shine like stars in the world” (Philippians 2:15).

Preachers used to say ours was a “cut flower generation.” The bloom was still there, all the blessings of our godly heritage, in the same way the floral arrangement on the dining room table carried the colors and delights of the garden. However, preachers would point out, this generation has cut itself off from the faith of our fathers, and while we enjoy the blessings of their faith and their labors, we are doing nothing to keep the faith. The next generation would pay for our failure.

We’re there now.

For most of the decades of my life—I arrived in 1940—Christians were in a majority in this country, and it was pretty much agreed that ours was a Christian nation. If anyone countered that, we never heard it.

We sang hymns in school and decorated for Christmas and even dismissed classes so those who wished could attend a local church service or see a religious film. As a young pastor, I was invited to preach Christian messages to student bodies of public high schools. No one mentioned a limitation of any kind.

Those days are over.

The nation has changed.

Blame it on whatever forces you choose—immigration, the influx of other religions, the influence of the devil, the encroachment of the world, sin—it has happened and it is here.

This country is never going to be what it was. It’s never going to be the way it was.

The Lord’s people living in these United States have been handed a choice.

We can bellyache and blame and lose our religion. We spend our time and energies blaming Obama and the Clintons and liberalism and Communism and materialism. We can accuse Osama bin Ladin and ISIS and Hussein and radical Islam. We can credit illegal aliens and the Internet and pornography.

We can fight with one another and argue over what steps we should have taken to reverse this decline and whose fault it was we didn’t.

Or we can man up and seize this opportunity.

We can forget about blaming and accept that it is what it is, and the only question now is what would God have me to do.

Shine.

God would have us to shine.

Finally, we get a chance to shine in darkness.

The world has always been dark. Christ came into a dark world. “The light shineth in darkness and the darkness apprehended it not.”

There was no light time in world history, no era of enlightenment when most people acknowledged God and worshiped Christ and believed the Bible. If you think otherwise, you’re fooling only yourself.

However, the superficial veneer of religion that our country lived with for generations masked a deeper problem of sin. The country may have given lip service to the pre-eminence of Christ and its debt to the Judeo-Christian tradition and its need for godly citizens, but much of that was so much talk. In World War II, both FDR and Winston Churchill spoke of the battle of Christendom against the forces of darkness. Everyone, it seemed, sang “Onward Christian Soldiers” as kind of a national rallying song. But those who truly knew the Lord were not fooled.

Today, those whose nostalgia convinces them the nation was godlier and more righteous “when I was young” are probably fooling themselves.

In some respects the veneer of righteousness and religiosity made it harder for true disciples of Jesus. We were respected and Christ was honored and then we were ignored. Corrupt politicians and dishonest merchants and other immoral, unethical citizens gave lip-service to God and the church.

In those days people said to me, “I don’t know anyone who is not a Christian.” Those enrolled in soulwinning classes I taught didn’t know anyone to witness to.

But no longer.

The darkness—always lurking in the corners and looking for a way to advance—gradually moved in. Today, that darkness is calling the shots.

The present darkness is all around and is only getting blacker and deeper.

Things are just going to get worse. Darker. More wicked.

Continue

Muslims at Christian University Granted Space for Prayer Room on Campus

Megan Briggs

February 17, 2017

In an effort to accommodate Muslim students on their campus, McMurry University has created a prayer room in one of its residential dorms. The small Methodist-affiliated university is located in Abilene, Texas and is home to a growing number of international students—some of whom are Muslim.

In an interview with a local news station, Jeff Lust, the University’s Chaplain, says providing the prayer room gives these students a chance to have “the best educational environment possible.” Previously, Muslims students would meet at a hotel nearby the university to pray. Since one of the five pillars of Islam is to pray at five set times a day (ideally in a mosque with others), this presented a problem for students trying to fulfill their religious duties and also get to class on time.

Joe Yousef is a student and the president of McMurry’s Saudi Student Club. In an interview with TheCollegeFix.com, Yousef admitted not everyone on the campus was pleased with the prayer room.

This is not how senior Hector Flores felt, though, when he told reporters, “Being Christians, we should be open to free religion and letting everyone do what they want to do and I think the Muslim prayer room gives them that chance.”

Yousef says there are about 60 Muslim students on campus, most of whom are from Saudi Arabia. Another student who utilizes the prayer room, Sultan Albogami, told reporters he hopes the move will help break down the stigma against Muslims. “I think what people hear about Islam is different then what Islam is,” Albogami says.

Chaplain Lust also sees the development as a “great asset” for students from both backgrounds to create conversation and learn from one another. “We need to learn to live and work together in this world that is increasingly diverse and then we can truly become better together,” Lust says.

About 1,000 students are enrolled at McMurry University. On the university’s About page, they state they are guided by the Christian faith as the “foundation of life.” On their campus, the prayer room for Muslim students is big enough for about 30 people now, but the group is hoping to outgrow it in the future.

Virginia and South Dakota Legislatures Acknowledge Porn As ‘Public Health Crisis’

Megan Briggs

February 17, 2017

The National Center on Sexual Exploitation (NCOSE) has announced that Virginia and South Dakota have passed resolutions which draw attention to the harmful effects of porn. The resolutions, similar to one passed in Utah last year, acknowledge the negative effects pornography has on a public scale.

According to NCOSE, these resolutions help pave the way “for greater awareness and national dialogue” on porn. And while the resolutions don’t call for funding or new legislation just yet, they will potentially do things like protecting “children in publicly funded schools and libraries from being unintentionally exposed to pornography” in the future.

On January 24, 2017, South Dakota passed Senate Concurrent Resolution 4, with unanimity in its house and senate. The resolution calls porn a “public health crisis” and mentions several problems it creates for individuals and societies.

Among these problems, the resolution states that porn does the following:

“leads to low self-esteem and eating disorders”

leads to “increased problematic sexual activity at younger ages, and an increased desire to engage in risky sexual behavior as young adolescents”

“often serves as children and youths’ sex education and shapes their sexual templates”

“generally teaches girls they are to be used and generally teaches boys to be users”

“normalizes violence against and abuse of women and children”

“increases the demand for sex trafficking, prostitution, child sexual abuse, and child pornography”

Can have the following effects on excessive users: “emotional, mental and medical illnesses, shaping deviant sexual arousals, difficulty forming or maintaining intimate relationships, diminished brain development and functioning, problematic or harmful sexual behaviors, and addiction”

Additionally, the resolution argues porn has a detrimental effect on families, stating “it is linked to lessening desire in young persons to marry, dissatisfaction in marriage, and infidelity.”

The resolution in South Dakota states what the church has felt for a long time now. It may seem like slow progress, but these resolutions are raising awareness and paving the way for action in the future.

Musical Chairs to Fill

Yancy Richmond

February 16, 2017

There are some key things that are important as we make plans and strategies to help kids experience God’s presence through the songs we sing. I feel very strongly about them, so here are the ones that top my list.

Relevant music and appeal. What kind of music are they listening to Monday-Saturday? Your music needs to appeal to their ears and the world they are living in. Not all music for kids is created equal. Having music that sounds “normal” and is relevant to the year that you are living in makes a difference, especially with your oldest preteen kids. I personally feel super strongly about this one. It’s the package in which you’re presenting Jesus to them … and I want to make sure I’m proclaiming the message that Jesus is relevant to their lives TODAY! Sometimes we miss the boat on this one. What things sound like and look like are important.

Have fun but don’t be silly. There is a difference in songs that are fun and full of energy and songs that are silly and a bit hokey. Silly moments can work with some younger kids but think about it. This is praise and worship. It’s a spiritual act. Yes, they are kids and you can have fun, celebrate, and rejoice but sometimes we put way too many eggs in a basket that isn’t going to get us anywhere. Kids can worship. They can handle some big, even serious, authentic worship songs. Don’t steal their opportunities to draw near to God through the songs you sing.

Model and show them how to participate. I think it’s so important to have people leading and being examples to kids. It’s a good thing to have positive peer pressure that shows them how they can participate in the songs. This is both verbal and physical. Real people will help you lead worship better than pressing play on a video ever will. As a bonus, find some people to help you lead worship that your kids look up to and would want to be like.

Helps kids experience God’s presence. Let them taste and see that the Lord is good. Do slow songs. (Teach them how to respond to them.) Help kids find their hiding place in God’s presence. I love what Darlene Zschech says about worship. “Worship stops the noise of life. Worship directs every fiber of our being heaven-ward.” Yes, even kids experience noisy lives. Teach them to run to the Lord and honor Him even when it’s a sacrifice of praise. Worship is a place where they can run to God’s arms, be encouraged, and refreshed. It’s a place where the thirsty find the water they are longing for. Psalm 42:1-2, “As the deer pants for the water brooks, so my soul pants for You, O God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God.”

This article originally appeared here.

10 Things Pastors Should Learn From TED Talks

Brandon Hilgemann

February 16, 2017

Have you ever watched a really good TED talk?

Like this one, this one, this one or this one.

TED talks are some of the best presentations on the planet. The single idea of a great TED talk often becomes viral.

As pastors, I believe we communicate the most important “idea” ever. If we want to reach our culture, we can learn from these popular public speaking videos.

What makes these presentations engaging to our culture?

What can we apply to our preaching without compromising our message?

I have studied the TED talk guidelines for speakers, and here are some of the rules that preachers could learn from.

1. Speak in 18 minutes or less

Why is this important? Because most people in your audience are good at focusing on an idea for a small piece of time.

Sometimes less is more.

There is nobody in church on Sunday who thinks, “Oh boy, I hope the pastor preaches 15 minutes over his allotted time again today!”

Nobody ever said, “Bummer, church let out early today.”

Now, I understand that TED talks are different from sermons; 18 minutes is probably too short if you are unpacking a larger section of Scripture.

However, few preachers have the ability to preach over 30 minutes and keep their congregation engaged the entire time.

ACTION STEP: Cut five to 10 minutes off your sermon this week. You may find your sermon more focused for an even greater impact.

2. Communicate one idea effectively

The best messages are laser-focused on a single idea.

How many times have you heard a pastor preach a sermon that contained enough ideas to be a whole series of sermons?

What is the one idea that God wants your key passage of Scripture to say to your audience?

Unless closely tied to the main idea, if you have more than one point, your audience will miss the point.

ACTION STEP: Write one sentence that summarizes the point of your entire sermon. Preach only this point.

3. Start by making your audience care

Selfish as it sounds, the first things people in our audience are asking is, “How does this help me?”

If you don’t immediately show how your sermon will apply to your audience, people will begin to tune you out.

Why do they need to know what you are about to tell them?

How can this verse in the Bible change their life?

What questions do they have that this message will answer?

Care about your audience enough to help people care about your sermon.

ACTION STEP: Answer this question before writing your introduction: How will this message help my audience?

4. End by addressing how this idea could affect your audience

In other words, cast the vision for your audience about how the single truth of the day’s Scripture can radically change people’s lives.

Conclude your sermon by casting the vision for what life could be if they applied the point of the message.

“Imagine what could happen if we all…”

“Imagine how your life would change if…”

“How would your family be different if…”

Help them leave inspired with a vision of something greater.

ACTION STEP: Answer this question before writing your conclusion: If someone believed this and acted on it what could happen?

Continue

The Happiest People in the World

John Knight

February 16, 2017

The statistics are remarkable.

99 percent of those surveyed are happy with their lives.
97 percent answered yes to the question, “Do you like who you are?”
99 percent agreed with the statement, “Do you love your family?”

Do you know of any group of people, of any economic status, educational level, age, ethnicity or geographic region, who approach those percentages? Who are these happy people?

People living with Down syndrome.

World Down Syndrome Day

March 21 is World Down Syndrome Day. As the statistics above show, there is a chasm between the experience of living with Down syndrome and the perception given to future parents about how awful life with Down syndrome must be. That perception results in horrible things.

And March 21—which is 3/21—is the perfect day to recognize our uniquely made family members, neighbors and friends because Down syndrome includes an extra, or third, copy of chromosome 21 in every cell of the body.

The intimacy of Psalm 139:13—“You knitted me together in my mother’s womb”—is clearly evidenced by those God makes with Down syndrome. God added that extra copy of chromosome 21 more than a trillion times in a baby with Down syndrome. It is a lot of knitting.

An Amazing Demographic

And one impact of that knitting is that people with Down syndrome report much greater happiness in their lives than any other demographic sample in any part of the world.

Of course, we must not discount the hardship and suffering related with the disabilities and learning complications associated with Down syndrome. Some babies with Down syndrome must have immediate surgeries for heart defects, and there is a higher risk of childhood leukemia and other conditions. Medical care, therapies and education are all expensive and time-consuming.

The cognitive disabilities associated with Down syndrome, which vary with every child, will mean learning will take longer and can be discouraging for everyone involved. Meltdowns, stubborn refusal to obey, sadness about a circumstance and fights with siblings will be part of the mix. Add how badly many in our society behave towards people with Down syndrome, and you are guaranteed to have hard days.

An Opportunity for the Church

So, this presents a great opportunity for the church. As Christians we already have a reason to welcome people with Down syndrome into our lives and our churches—God made them (and everyone else) in his image, for his glory. Christ’s church can look at and respond to both the suffering and the joy in realistic and hopeful ways that make God look glorious and build up families experiencing disability of every kind.

Because of Jesus, we can live like Paul instructed, “as sorrowful, yet always rejoicing” (2 Corinthians 6:10).

Dispel the Myths About Down Syndrome

World Down Syndrome Day was started to dispel myths about Down syndrome. That’s a laudable goal, especially given the astounding and tragic number of unborn children who are aborted. And let’s not add to myths by overstating how loving and gentle “they” are. God makes every one of us uniquely, even those who share the characteristic of an extra copy of chromosome 21.

And let’s really confound our culture and the world by encouraging those with Down syndrome to develop and use their gifts in our churches. They have God-given good works to do (Ephesians 2:10).

Next time you hear that Down syndrome is part of the package of a child coming into a family, or you see a young person or adult with Down syndrome coming to your church, don’t stereotype into categories of “tragedy” or otherwise. Rather, pray for wisdom, go introduce yourself to an inherently valuable person (or her parents), and see what God might be pleased to do for them through you—and for you through them.

The God We Worship Looks…Like Us?

David Manner

February 16, 2017

We are created in God’s image, not He in ours. We should, therefore, step into His story instead of expecting Him to step into ours. When we worship we must acknowledge that we aren’t starting the conversation. Instead, He began the dialogue and is inviting us to join Him in it. So if we create worship just to accommodate our needs, then the god we worship looks a lot like us.

Our worship proclaims, enacts and sings God’s story.[1] So if our worship is truly in spirit and truth it must reflect who God is, not what we want. When we focus on what we need, deserve and prefer, the attention is always on us. But when we focus on what He desires, the attention is always on Him.

Fortunately for us, we still occasionally see God even when our worship is focused on our own selfish desires. But how much more profound could our worship be if we moved beyond just seeing Him to actually seeing by Him. In his essay “Meditation in a Tool Shed,” C.S. Lewis illustrates the difference between just seeing something as an outsider and actually seeing by or looking along something as an insider.

I was standing today in the dark toolshed. The sun was shining outside and through the crack at the top of the door there came a sunbeam. From where I stood that beam of light, with the specks of dust floating in it, was the most striking thing in the place. Everything else was almost pitch-black. I was seeing the beam, not seeing things by it.

Then I moved, so that the beam fell on my eyes. Instantly the whole previous picture vanished. I saw no toolshed, and (above all) no beam. Instead I saw, framed in the irregular cranny at the top of the door, green leaves moving on the branches of a tree outside and beyond that, 90 odd million miles away, the sun. Looking along the beam, and looking at the beam are very different experiences.[2]

When we stand outside of the beam and expect it to move where we are, the god we worship looks like us. We believe it is there for our sake instead of we there for its sake. Then the object of our worship (God and God’s story) is transferred to an object of our own choosing (us and our story). Harold Best wrote, “Idolatry is the difference between walking in the light and creating our own light to walk in.”[3]

But when we step into the beam and look along that beam we don’t just see God, but now see by Him. Then our worship is no longer shaped by what we want or feel like we’ve earned, but instead by who God is and what He has done.

[1] Robert E. Webber, Ancient-Future Worship: Proclaiming and Enacting God’s Narrative (Grand Rapids: Baker, 2008), 39.

[2] C.S. Lewis, God in the Dock (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1970), 212.

[3] Harold Best, Unceasing Worship: Biblical Perspectives on Worship and the Arts (Downers Grove: InterVarsity, 2003), 165-6.

Faithful Preachers Are Forgetful Preachers

H.B. Charles, Jr.

February 16, 2017

My big brother, Kevin Willis, was there to hear me preach my first sermon, at the Mt. Sinai Missionary Baptist Church in Los Angeles. I was a boy preacher, 11 years old.

It was some years before he heard me preach again.

Kevin was in town to preach a meeting. He was scheduled to preach at 3:30. And I had a preaching engagement later that evening. Of course, I went to hear my brother preach. And he came to hear me after his meeting.

I was “on” that night. I preached one of my “sticks”—a familiar sermon I had preached several times before. And I had a built-in amen corner, as a group of my young preacher friends were also present. Beyond that, the Lord seemed to smile on the worship service, including the preaching moment.

I could not tell how my brother received the sermon as he sat in the service. But I could not wait to hear what he had to say afterward. It didn’t take me long to find out.

As soon as we got outside, Kevin put his arm around me and pulled me to the side. “I want to say something to you,” he whispered. “There are two things I want to tell you. First of all, everything I have heard about you is true. You’re a really good young preacher. And I am very proud of you. But the second thing I need to say to you is that you need to forget it.”

That was it. That’s all he said.

We then went to eat. I really enjoyed the time of fellowship with my brother and friends. But I was secretly rubbed by Kevin’s comments. I didn’t understand what he meant when he told me I was a good preacher but needed to forget it. I didn’t try. I simply concluded my big brother was unnecessarily trying to know his little brother down a few pegs.

I was a teenager then. I am now…no longer a teenager. But I have not forgotten that night. I hope I never will.

Personal holiness, spiritual growth and ministerial faithfulness are rooted in what you remember and what you forget. You should never forget what the Lord has sovereignly and graciously done for you. You should not forget what God has called you from and what God has called you to. You should never forget the wonderful privilege and great responsibility you have as a minister of the Lord Jesus Christ.

But a good minister of Jesus Christ must also know what to forget. More specifically, you must learn to forget yourself. Faithfulness to Christ requires a holy sense of self-forgetfulness. It’s like riding a seesaw. Both persons cannot be up at the same time. As one is up the other is down. You cannot exalt Christ and yourself at the same time. In the words of John the Baptist, “He must increase, but I must decrease” (John 3:30).

Is the Lord using you?
Is the Lord blessing your ministry?
Is the Lord smiling on your gospel work?
Is the Lord obviously at work in your local church?
Is the Lord doing great things in and through you?

Great! Way cool! Praise the Lord!

Now forget it.

Hillsong Announces Plans to Launch Church in Israel

Megan Briggs

February 16, 2017

On February 13, 2017, the founder of the Hillsong Church movement, Brian Houston, made a very special announcement: The group is launching a church in Tel Aviv, Israel.

Houston made the announcement via an Instagram post, which has garnered over 20,000 likes thus far. Houston wrote, “From Jerusalem to the ends of the earth and from the ends of the earth back to Israel.”

Let me to be the first to tell you this is happening. Hillsong church is going to add a room to our church family in ISRAEL. From Jerusalem to the ends of the earth and from the ends of the earth back to Israel. #prayforhillsongisrael #TelAviv

A post shared by Brian Houston (@brianchouston) on Feb 12, 2017 at 9:13pm PST

A page for Hillsong Church Israel is already live, albeit without many details. There is an interest form you can fill out and a mission statement of the church. The only reference to timing is a line that says “services launching soon.”

Hillsong’s network spans across the globe; Israel constitutes the 17th country to host a church plant. Another branch of the ministry, Hillsong UNITED, has traveled the globe performing hit worship songs.

World Relief Forced to Lay Off 140+ Employees Due to Trump’s Refugee Ban

Megan Briggs

February 16, 2017

World Relief Arbeiter Breene — World Relief President Scott Arbeiter (left) and CEO Tim Breene (right)

World Relief is laying off over 140 employees and closing five offices across the country as a “direct result” of the Trump administration’s recent moves to halt refugees entering the U.S.

Scott Arbeiter, President of World Relief, says not only is the loss of over 140 jobs “deeply troubling”, but additionally the people they are forced to let go “have served diligently and sacrificially—some of them for many years.” As these seasoned staff leave, they take with them “decades of organizational expertise and invaluable capacity to serve the world’s most vulnerable people.”

The non-profit organization, which specializes in refugee and immigration services, among other humanitarian efforts, is determined to keep working toward its mission. However, CEO Tim Breene says, “given the unprecedented nature of the global refugee crisis, there are simply more people than ever that need our support and our compassion.”

Offices in Boise, Idaho; Columbus, Ohio; Miami, Florida; Nashville, Tennessee; and Glen Burnie, Maryland will be closing, according to a press release. World Relief says combined, these offices have helped to settle more than 25,000 refugees over the past 40 years.

World Relief started as the humanitarian arm of the National Association of Evangelicals in 1944. Their first order of business was to help pick up the pieces of post-WWII Europe. Over the decades, the organization has adjusted its mission to assist the changing needs of the “world’s most vulnerable.” Today, they focus on things like maternal and child health, disaster response, and agricultural training, in addition to their work with refugees.

This is not the first time World Relief has appealed to the government for immigration reform. In 2011, the organization released a formal statement in support of the DREAM Act, which would allow young undocumented immigrants to go to college and join the U.S. military, thereby providing them an easier path to U.S. citizenship.

Commenting on the Trump administration’s abrupt immigration policy changes, Breene says “America is now less able to help those around the world who need our help the most.”

Help in Overcoming Church Hurt

Josh Moody

February 15, 2017

Have you been hurt by a church? If so, you’re not alone.

As a pastor of a church, I’ve heard stories from people who have found church confusing, contrarian, or even damaging. Not every church hurts people, but most churches have hurt someone at some point. Some people are hurt through their own mistakes, others because of sin committed against them, and still others because of failed leadership. This reality can leave them reluctant to re-engage, afraid of being hurt again, wanting to protect themselves, and questioning the place of church in their lives. The good news for the hurting is that God has spoken to your pain in the Bible.

Most of the writing in the New Testament about how to live in a church exists because the church has never been perfect. Most, if not all, of the letters were written to solve problems in the church:

Galatians to solve legalism (Galatians 1:6–7, Galatians 3.1–3″ data-version=”esv” data-purpose=”bible-reference”>3:1–3, Galatians 4.9″ data-version=”esv” data-purpose=”bible-reference”>4:9, Galatians 5.1″ data-version=”esv” data-purpose=”bible-reference”>5:1).
Colossians to solve heresy (Colossians 2:4, Colossians 2.8″ data-version=”esv” data-purpose=”bible-reference”>8).
2 Timothy to solve tension in succession (2 Timothy 4:9–16).
Philippians to solve conflict and selfish ambition (Philippians 2:3–22).
1 and 2 Corinthians to solve a whole host of problems centered around the issues of human pride in gifting and speaking that led to loveless and arrogant religious activity.

And that’s not even to mention the letters to the churches in Revelation (chapters 2–3), one of which is so unhealthy, it makes Jesus want to vomit (Revelation 3:16).

And we think we’ve got problems.

A Broken, but Growing Church

That said, the church is the bride of Christ and the body of Christ—a people set apart to declare God’s praises to the nations and called to become more like the people of God we are meant to be. We shouldn’t be surprised by hurt and pain in the church, because everyone in the church is still sinful. But while saving faith in Christ is not surprised by brokenness, it is never content or negligent with it either.

So how do we make progress in the midst of our church’s flaws? Many things are outside of our individual control, but God has given us a simple formula for walking through every stage of life with every kind of challenge, grief and disappointment. There’s nothing secret or magic about these steps, except for the Father who loves to reveal his power when we give ourselves to them.

1. Stay in God’s manual for our grief.

Unashamedly, unshakably, and unreservedly draw your hope for life and healing from the teaching of the Bible. The more we are centered on God’s truth spoken in love (Ephesians 4:1–16), the more we will grow up into maturity and the more resources we’ll have at our disposal to heal from hurt ourselves and to avoid hurting one another.

The temptation will be to avoid God’s word. But keep reading the Bible, even if for just a few minutes each day. It’s like eating. What counts is every single day getting what we need to get through that day. Knowing God’s word will help us as we process hurt and find truth to satisfy and guide us.

2. Pursue the holiness you hope for in others.

Passionately, sacrificially and deliberately persevere in pursuing Christ-like discipleship. When you’re faced with betrayal or disappointment, it will require perseverance—supernatural perseverance. Learn. Grow. Forgive. Repent. Repent some more. Fight the good fight. Urge each other on. Do not give up meeting together. Stay on the path of discipleship, knowing it will be rugged at times. Trust that the good work God is doing in you and in other believers around you will ultimately be for the good of all who believe in him.

3. Trust that love will eventually prevail.

Love anyway. It seems impossible in the moment, but it’s the call of every Christian in every situation. In the end, only love will abide (1 Corinthians 13:13). Therefore, the wisest and safest way forward is always love. Love as if your life depends on it.

To love someone is to seek his best. I can love someone without even liking him. I can find someone frustrating, but still genuinely and truly want what is best for him. Love does not mean avoiding tough conversations or life-on-life accountability, but doing those sorts of things from a loving, humble, gracious and patient position which is from a mind and heart like Christ’s.

Jesus said you could tell his disciples by how they love one another (John 13:35), and so we who are loved by him love each other in turn—even through the darkest, most difficult days.

Of course, none of these steps will make your church experience or relationships perfect. But these truths will change how you process the pain you feel in the church. They will change your life. And eventually, by God’s grace, they will change your church, too.

Should You Delete Politics From Your Digital Life?

Chris Martin

February 15, 2017

I was texting with some friends while watching the daily White House briefing over my lunch break last week when I made the decision:

“I am going to delete politics from my life, ” I said.

That was a bit of an overstatement, but it’s what I wanted to do in the moment. It’s a bit difficult, and irresponsible, to delete politics from your life entirely.

But I decided in that moment that I was going to delete them from my digital life as much as possible.

Why Would I Delete Politics From My Digital Life?

Contrary to what you may think, the desire to delete politics from my life did not come from a politician saying something silly or doing something offensive.

I decided I wanted to delete politics from my life when I hopped on Twitter or Facebook and couldn’t avoid, “Donald Trump said ___________,” or, “___________ said __________ about Donald Trump’s actions.”

I was disgusted by the amount and tone of the coverage.

Politics have fascinated me for as long as I can remember. When I was in the eighth grade, I wanted to be President of the United States, and I was dead serious. I was going to go to West Point, become a lawyer, then a senator, then President.

But I decided this week that I no longer want politics to happen to me. I want to engage with political discussions on my own terms, not my Twitter timeline’s terms, which bombarded me with political content every hour of the day.

Spiritually-speaking, I was reading a lot more articles about political happenings than I was praying prayers about what was going on. I thought I should spend less time consuming and more time praying, too. That was certainly part of my decision-making on this.

When I told my friends I was going to do this, the first thing one of them said was, “Well, being apathetic is as bad as being raging mad.” Maybe, but deleting politics from my digital life is not being apathetic—those are two different things.

I want to be politically-informed, but I don’t want to hear what you think about politics, I don’t want to know what Washington Post columnists think, or Slate columnists think, or what Jake Tapper thinks, as much as I respect Jake.

I want to know what happened, but I don’t care to know what anyone thinks about what happened, and I no longer care to share what I think about what happened.

I want to be completely ignorant of what my Twitter people think about politics, and I want you to know as little about what I think as possible. Honestly, politics have become more divisive than unifying, even among friends and co-laborers in Christ, and the fight really just isn’t worth it to me anymore. Thankfully, it’s not a mandatory fight, online anyway. You can just dismiss yourself; so I did.

I subscribed to a paper version of the Wall Street Journal with some unused airline points, but I unfollowed dozens of accounts on Twitter and Facebook. I can’t stand the bombardment anymore.

How Do You Delete Politics From Your Digital Life?

To some of you, this exercise probably sounds appalling.

To some of you, this may sound appealing.

For those of you who would also like to delete politics from your digital life, here’s what I did:

First, I unfollowed all major news organizations: ABC, CBS, CNN, Fox News, AP, the Washington Post, the New York Times, the Atlantic, Mashable, USAToday, Buzzfeed, Slate, The Daily Beast and more.

Second, I unfollowed all of the politicians’ accounts I was following: @POTUS, @WhiteHouse, Sean Spicer, Ben Sasse, etc.

Then, I basically unfollowed anyone on Twitter that popped up in my timeline talking about politics more than anything else, whether they are usually talking about that or not.

Finally, I unfollowed and muted a few friends who I really like, but simply couldn’t take the political bombardment of content from any longer.

I’ve only been at this for about a week, and my Twitter timeline and Facebook feed are glorious portals of informative, interesting content completely devoid of political ranting or unnecessary information.

The other night, all of my friends were tweeting things about Australia and how they hope Australia doesn’t hate us now. I still have NO IDEA what they were talking about, and I couldn’t be happier. Because I don’t have to know what happened to live a fully-functional, Christ-seeking life. It’s taken me a long time to learn that.

I have always prided myself on being the first one to know world happenings. I always want to be the first to know. It’s why I love Twitter.

I’m done with that, at least when it comes to politics. It’s just not worth it anymore.

What is going on in Washington seems to have become the core around which everything rotates in this digital merry-go-round of information and opinions.

I’ve decided to stop watching.

Delegation: The Secret Sauce to Effective Leadership

Joe McAlpine

February 15, 2017

“I don’t have a problem with delegation. I love to delegate. I am either lazy enough, or busy enough, or trusting enough, or congenial enough, that the notion of leaving tasks in someone else’s lap doesn’t just sound wise to me, it sounds attractive.” —John Ortberg

It should come as no surprise to anyone that the greatest and most self-aware leaders know that they can’t do it all. The ability to delegate important tasks to other people and then trust them to complete those tasks with efficiency and accuracy is one of the most important skills a leader can possess. If you were to point out a leader that is burnt out and at their wit’s end, you would most likely also see a leader that has never attained the skill of proper delegation.

In essence, leadership and delegation are almost synonymous. When a leader learns to delegate important tasks to another person, they have reached a pinnacle of success that many fail to attain.

What does great delegation look like though? How can a leader decide what they should delegate and what they need to spearhead on their own? The reality is there is not really much that a leader can’t delegate to their team. We have put together a few pointers for you when it comes to delegating like a boss. These simple rules for delegation will help you take your leadership to the next level and get more done.

Work hard to improve your self-awareness as a leader.

Many leaders simply delegate the things that they don’t like to do. It can be easy to decide that the things that you don’t like to do are the things that you aren’t good at. This probably isn’t true, though. Many great leaders learn that they are often good at the tasks they don’t particularly enjoy. They also realize that there are things that they enjoy doing that members of their team are actually better at than they are. You might enjoy speaking in front of large groups of people for example, but you have a team member that is really good at connecting with an audience. Don’t be afraid to realize that other people have talents that are more refined than yours might be. This takes a level of self-awareness that goes beyond what most are willing to accept.

When delegating, ask for a final product instead of giving a road map.

There is a fine line between great delegation and micromanaging. Don’t cross the line! Instead, be intentional about casting the vision to your team about what you would like to see accomplished. It is OK for you to give some rules of engagement, but work hard to allow your team members to map out the plan on their own. If you tell them what to accomplish and how to accomplish it, you are essentially clipping your team’s wings when it comes to creativity and ingenuity. Make sure that you allow room for people to accomplish things differently than you would. Remember, your way isn’t always going to be the best way!

Know your team.

In addition to being self-aware, a great delegator must be aware of the skills and talents of the people they delegate to. Don’t delegate things to someone you know will struggle with those specific tasks. Be aware of their current workload and delegate to someone else if a team member has too much on their plate at the moment.

Be available.

The greatest thing a leader can do (aside from delegation) is support their team. The mantra of a great leader should always be, “My greatest leadership priority is helping my team solve their problems when they need me to.” If you simply spit out orders and then close your office door on your team, you are taking away the most valuable tool your team has: your input and advice. Be sure to always be available to help guide your team and mentor them when they need it.

Remember, all great leaders are great delegators. If you believe you are a strong leader and haven’t mastered this skill then you just might have a blind spot! Take the time to evaluate yourself in this area. Ask those around you about your skills when it comes to delegation. Ask them how you can improve and then take the advice!

This article originally appeared here.

12 Preaching Tips from Charles Spurgeon

Brandon Hilgemann

February 15, 2017

Charles Spurgeon is arguably one of the greatest preachers in the history of Christianity and as such has some valuable preaching tips to offer.

He preached over 600 sermons before the age of 20.
The collection of his recorded sermons fills 63 volumes and over 20 million words, making it the largest collection of books by a single Christian author.
He once spoke to an audience of 23,654 without the use of a microphone or sound system.
He frequently preached 10 times per week because he accepted so many invitations to speak.¹

Spurgeon was so gifted and influential that it’s no wonder he earned the nickname of the “Prince of Preachers.”

It’s safe to say that we could all learn much about preaching from such a prolific preacher.

12 Preaching Tips

So here are 12 preaching tips that Charles Spurgeon taught his students:

1. PRAYER IS SERMON PREP

The first of our preaching tips is that nothing prepares you to preach more than prayer.

“Prayer will singularly assist you in the delivery of your sermon; in fact, nothing can so gloriously fit you to preach as descending fresh from the mount of communion with God to speak with men. None are so able to plead with men as those who have been wrestling with God on their behalf.”²

2. USE STRIKING INTRODUCTIONS

The beginning of your sermon should immediately capture our attention.

“I prefer to make the introduction of my sermon very like that of the town-crier, who rings his bell and cries, ‘Oh, yes! Oh, yes! This is to give notice,’ merely to let people know that he has news for them, and wants them to listen. To do that, the introduction should have something striking in it. It is well to fire a startling shot as the signal gun to clear the decks for action.”³

3. LONG SERMONS ARE A PRODUCT OF SHORT STUDY

This one of the preaching tips might surprise some: It takes a higher level of preparation and discipline to say less.

“Brevity is a virtue within the reach of all of us; do not let us lose the opportunity of gaining the credit which it brings. If you ask me how you may shorten your sermons, I should say, study them better. Spend more time in the study that you may need less in the pulpit. We are generally longest when we have least to say.”⁴

4. VARY YOUR VOICE

Nobody wants to listen to a monotone preacher.

“What a pity that a man who from his heart delivered doctrines of undoubted value, in language the most appropriate, should commit ministerial suicide by harping on one string, when the Lord had given him an instrument of many strings to play upon! Alas! alas! for that dreary voice, it hummed and hummed like a mill-wheel to the same unmusical turn, whether its owner spake of heaven or hell, eternal life or everlasting wrath.

Poll: Evangelicals Most in Favor of Repealing Johnson Amendment

Megan Briggs

February 15, 2017

According to a new poll done by Morning Consult and Politico, evangelicals are among the biggest supporters of Trump’s promise to “totally destroy” the Johnson Amendment. Forty-seven percent of evangelicals feel churches should be allowed to “engage in political activity,” while only 34 percent do not agree.

Evangelicals and Tea Party supporters constitute the groups most in favor of repealing the Johnson Amendment, according to the poll. This is in contrast to the average feeling of all Christians, 48 percent of whom do not feel churches should be allowed to engage in political activity, and 34 percent of whom do feel they should be allowed to. More specifically, on the question of whether churches should endorse candidates for elected offices, evangelicals were almost evenly split, with 42 percent saying churches should not endorse candidates and 41 percent saying they should.

However, there are some evangelicals who are questioning what this move would gain the church. “History has already taught us that exchanging the Gospel for political zeal partly led to the downfall of the once predominant mainline Protestant establishment in America. This should be a warning to evangelicals,” Chelsen Vicari, Evangelical Program Director for the Institute on Religion and Democracy, told the Christian Post.

The Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF) is a Christian legal group that supports the idea of fixing of the Johnson Amendment, which it calls “unconstitutional” on its website. On February 1, 2017, Senator James Lankford and Representative Jody Hice introduced the Free Speech Fairness Act to the House and Senate. If passed, it would alter the Johnson Amendment to allow pastors to speak on politics from the pulpit without the threat of the IRS revoking their tax-exempt status.

President Trump promised to “totally destroy” the Johnson Amendment in his first National Prayer Breakfast speech. The Johnson Amendment, passed in 1954, has been in effect for over 60 years and affects churches, ministries and other religious organizations which are classified as nonprofit, 501(c)3 organizations.

Jennifer Rothschild: Understanding God’s Love from Every Book of the Bible

Andrew Hess

February 15, 2017

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Jennifer Rothschild is a prolific author, speaker, and Bible study teacher. She has also been blind since the age of 15. A wife and a mother, Jennifer certainly doesn’t let blindness hinder her calling to ministry or her faith in God. She is the author of 14 books and Bible studies, including the bestsellers Lessons I Learned in the Dark, Self Talk, Soul Talk, and her newest 66 Ways God Loves You.

Key Questions:

How do you watch for the love of God in a place you don’t expect to find it?

As an incredibly busy ministry leader, how do you find time to spend time in the Word?

What misconceptions about God’s love are you constantly working to teach against?

Key Quotes:

“The story that God has written in my life through blindness has…been about how God’s taught me to trust him more than I trust my feelings.”

“God really does make it well with our souls even when it’s not well with our circumstances.”

“Whenever the word of God is in our hearts and in our minds, then we’re experiencing the love of God in the deepest way.”

“I wanted to un-intimidate the Bible.”

“In Genesis, God fashions you with his hands. He spoke the world into being, but when it came for him to create a human being, he used his hands. That’s an expression of the love of God.”

“In Exodus, God delivers me from slavery. In Leviticus, he gives me access to himself. In Numbers, he builds cities of refuge to protect me.”

“I think sometimes we misunderstand how God expresses his love. So if it doesn’t fit on a Hallmark card or feel real warm and fuzzy, we think that’s not the love of God. But God’s love is so complete and holy that he expresses it—sometimes—in ways that may feel harsh to us.”

“God’s love, which is unfailing, unconditional is really counterintuitive to us.

“God loves us because he is love. Not because we deserve it, earn it. And because we can’t deserve it or earn it, we also cannot lose it.”

“When we say ‘I’m not worthy of God’s love’…what we’re really saying is ‘He’s not worthy of my trust to believe that he is who he says he is.’”

“I’m going to receive the love of God, even if it’s by faith—having nothing to do with my feelings.”

“That’s what God wants from us: He wants our devotion—not our duty.”

Mentioned in the Show:

66 Ways God Loves You

Lessons I Learned in the Dark

Self Talk, Soul Talk

Invisible: How You Feel Is Not Who You Are

womensministry.net

1. Speak in 18 minutes or less

2. Communicate one idea effectively

3. Start by making your audience care

4. End by addressing how this idea could affect your audience

World Down Syndrome Day

An Amazing Demographic

An Opportunity for the Church

Dispel the Myths About Down Syndrome

A Broken, but Growing Church

1. Stay in God’s manual for our grief.

2. Pursue the holiness you hope for in others.

3. Trust that love will eventually prevail.

Why Would I Delete Politics From My Digital Life?

How Do You Delete Politics From Your Digital Life?

Work hard to improve your self-awareness as a leader.

When delegating, ask for a final product instead of giving a road map.

Know your team.

Be available.

12 Preaching Tips

1. PRAYER IS SERMON PREP

2. USE STRIKING INTRODUCTIONS

3. LONG SERMONS ARE A PRODUCT OF SHORT STUDY

4. VARY YOUR VOICE

Key Questions:

Key Quotes:

Mentioned in the Show:

New Articles

New Podcasts