Billboards Tout Mark Driscoll’s ‘Real Romance’ Sermon Series—And Book

January 5, 2023

Ahead of the Valentine’s Day release of his new book, “Real Romance: Sex and the Song of Songs,” controversial Arizona pastor Mark Driscoll is presenting an eight-week sermon series about marriage. To publicize the sermons and book, co-written by Driscoll’s wife, Grace, his church is posting messages on billboards throughout Scottsdale.

The Twitter account Stuff Christian Culture Likes recently shared images of The Trinity Church billboards. “Thanks to informants in Scottsdale we have evidence of Mark Driscoll’s new sex sermon,” reads the caption. “I can’t help but remember all of the women I knew who went to Mars Hill who told me that Mars Hill dictated that women weren’t allowed to tell their husbands no.” It also cites a midwife who surmised that “most” babies born to Mars Hill couples “weren’t conceived consensually.”

In 2014, Driscoll resigned from Mars Hill, the church he had founded in Seattle. Allegations of bullying, controlling, and even “cult-like” behavior followed Driscoll to Trinity, which he launched in 2016.

Stuff Christian Culture Likes was founded by Stephanie Drury, who advocates for “women harmed by evangelical culture” and once ran a @FakeDriscoll Twitter account.

Billboards: God ‘Wants To Heat Up Your Marriage’

Messages on the electronic billboards include “Married Couples: Has your bedroom become your bored room? We’re here to help” and “The same God who heats up the valley wants to heat up your marriage!”

The person who sent Drury images of the billboards writes, “Sorry for the shakiness, I started laughing as I took the photo.” Another text-message screenshot calls the signs “weird,” noting they “make it seem like his [Driscoll’s] church is handing out [V]iagra.”

Each billboard includes the URL TrinityChurch.com/RealRomance, which provides details about the sermon series beginning Jan. 7. On its website, the church invites people to come hear about the “Bible’s most overt book on marriage, the Song of Songs.” It promises, “By attending this sermon series and applying the principles to your relationship, you will have a stronger, more intimate, more enjoyable marriage!”

Attendees are told they’ll receive a free early-release copy of “Real Romance” and be entered in a drawing to win a staycation. Near the end of the series, attendees can take advantage of a “FREE extended date night with childcare.”

‘This All Looks Eerily Similar’

Among the Driscoll-related controversies at Mars Hill was one involving the promotion of his 2011 book “Real Marriage.” A report indicated that a marketing company was paid $200,000 to push that title onto the New York Times bestseller list.

‘You Have To Grow’—Matt Maher on Why So Many Christians Are Walking Away From the Faith

Dale Chamberlain

January 5, 2023

Songwriter and worship leader Matt Maher recently gave his thoughts on the trend of faith deconstruction that has been occurring in the American church for the last several years.

The recipient of six GMA Dove Awards and nine Grammy nominations, Maher is known in evangelical churches for popular worship songs such as “Your Grace Is Enough,” “I Will Rise,” “Because He Lives (Amen),” “Christ Is Risen,” and “Lord I Need You,” all of which are frequently used in worship services around the nation.

Maher’s latest album, “The Stories I Tell Myself,” includes songs “The Lord’s Prayer (It’s Yours)” and “Leaning,” which features fellow worship leader Lizzie Morgan.

Maher also recently released a single titled “The In Between,” which draws inspiration from “The Chosen,” the hit drama depicting the life and ministry of Jesus. Specifically, the song was inspired by an episode of the show featuring a dramatized exchange between Jesus and Mary Magdalene.

“I was one way, but now I am different; there was a clear change in a holy collision,” the lyrics of the song read. “Who I was, and who I’ll forever be, and he was the in between.”

In a recent interview with Christian Headlines, Maher speculated that younger evangelicals departing from the faith tradition en masse may not have been growing in spiritual maturity prior to their crisis of faith.

The topic of deconstruction has been an object of debate for some time now, as a not inconsiderable number of people who grew up in evangelical churches and homes have been re-examining their beliefs.

This has spawned the “exvangelical” movement, a theologically eclectic community that has thrived online. Though they have a wide array of beliefs on the existence of God and the virtues of the Christian tradition, many of them are bound together in relationship through the common, and often difficult, experiences of growing up in evangelical spaces.

Maher believes that this trend of deconstruction, at least in part, can be attributed to a lack of discipleship among Christians as they grow into adulthood.

“A lot of people are walking away from their faith,” Maher told Christian Headlines. “If you’re looking at God in your 40s the same way you did when you were 10, you have to walk away from that. Because that’s not an adequate faith for a 40-year-old, or a 30-year-old or a 20-year-old.”

Potential Hotspots for Christian Persecution on the Horizon in 2023

International Christian Concern

January 5, 2023

cross_hill — Photo via Unsplash.com @thanti_riess

Washington D.C. (International Christian Concern) – We recently sat down with Darius, who is involved with ICC’s international relief efforts and projects and asked him to assess trouble spots as we look ahead to 2023. Where are Christians in peril? Where can they find hope? And what is ICC doing to relieve the suffering of those who put their faith in Jesus?

What were some of the overarching contributors to global persecution in 2022?

In 2022, two significant events affected persecution: the Ukraine War and the sour global economy. Radically empowered dictators, regimes, and terrorist groups took advantage of the situation. With the world’s attention distracted by this new war and the financial crisis, villainous leaders saw an opportunity to accelerate their actions and pursue their agenda—to the detriment of Christians. The U.S. government doesn’t have a lot of leverage right now, displaying the limited impact a leading world power can have. As a result, the regimes and the groups do more of what they want to do without the world’s big reaction to them.

These situations will worsen for Christians without a doubt. To some, the U.S. influence has diminished, though it continues to pursue diplomatic efforts, freeze accounts, support embargoes, and more. North Korea is a good example, emboldened to expand its nuclear program. You can imagine what’s happening for Christians and others living there.

The same thing applies to radical groups. So, you see terrorists like Boko Haram, the Allied Democratic Forces, and Fulani militants in Sub-Saharan Africa and the Democratic Republic of Congo getting a free ride to spread terror.

Also, socioeconomic factors significantly contribute to Christian persecution. With increased poverty, desperate people take desperate measures. If the only way to get food is to attack a Christian village and take what they have, they just don’t care.

The way we struggle now—a deficiency of resources, currency, and inflation—creates more desperation. Minority groups and Christians in many areas are being taken advantage of.

How is this playing out in some of the trouble spots?

China

In China, we see more acceleration in the crackdown on house churches and religious leaders than ever before. Our comprehensive reports on China show this concerning rise. We have been tracking persecution incidents for several years and concluded that persecution in China was worse in 2022 than in any other year.

Myanmar

The political coup in Myanmar in 2021 led to a crackdown on all minorities, including Christians. As a result, we see a lot of attacks on churches and bombings of churches. The internally displaced often use churches as shelters.

Iran

Iran is another example of how a regime took advantage of the world being distracted by the war in Ukraine and the poor global economy. The government did the biggest crackdown on churches, Christians, and Muslim-background believers this year, with more arrests and torture of Christians.

India

More states enforce anti-conversion laws, which many Indian scholars agree are unconstitutional. More states try to stop any evangelism or outreach to Hindu communities by adopting anti-conversion laws.

Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh)

About 100,000 Christians remain stuck in Nagorno-Karabakh (Armenian: Artsakh) and don’t have access to the world. The government took more land and closed the only road that gave Christians access to Armenia, essentially putting them in a big, geographical prison. The Russian peacekeepers are not doing anything, which has made this so much worse for Christians.

What To Expect at the Funeral Mass for Emeritus Pope Benedict XVI

Claire Giangrave

January 5, 2023

Pope Benedict XVI — People queue to see the late Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI lying in state inside St. Peter’s Basilica at the Vatican, where thousands went to pay their homage, Jan. 3, 2023. Pope Benedict was a German theologian who will be remembered as the first pope in 600 years to resign. (AP Photo/Antonio Calanni)

VATICAN CITY (RNS) — Over 200,000 Catholic faithful lined up in the past three days to bid their last farewell to the remains of Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI. The funeral Mass on Thursday (Jan. 5) for the first pope to retire in over 600 years is bound to be a historic event.

Even in the centuries-old tradition of the Catholic Church, there is no clear etiquette for how to celebrate the funeral of a retired pope. Usually, when a pope dies, the next pope has to be elected during a conclave, a gathering of cardinals behind the closed doors of the Sistine Chapel at the Vatican.

Since Benedict XVI stepped down as pope in 2013, there has already been a conclave and Pope Francis has reigned as pontiff for almost 10 years. This means Francis will be celebrating the Mass for Pope Benedict XVI in St. Peter’s Square on Thursday.

The rare occasion of a pope attending the funeral of his predecessor last occurred in 1802, when Pope Pius VII asked that the body of his predecessor, Pope Pius VI, be brought to Rome for a solemn funeral Mass at St. Peter’s Basilica. Pius VI spent the last years of his life as a hostage to the French army under Napoleon Bonaparte and died in France.

The last pope to have resigned, Pope Celestine V in 1294, died in a castle not far from Rome under the suspicion that he was murdered by his successor, Pope Boniface VIII.

While the Mass for Benedict, who took the title of emeritus pope after stepping down, will echo the funerals of other deceased pontiffs, it will also have some omissions and a few novelties due to the extraordinary circumstances. “The baseline is the same” as the funeral for a pope, said Vatican spokesperson Matteo Bruni, answering questions by journalists on Tuesday. But the service, put together by liturgy experts, is a result of their studies and “not a text that was decided at a specific moment.”

Major differences will be the omission of liturgical aspects specific to funerals for reigning popes. The final prayers by the Diocese of Rome and the Eastern churches will not be included in the liturgy and the readings will be different. The Mass will be celebrated in Latin, but the readings will be in English and Spanish. Other prayers will be recited in a selection of languages, including Benedict’s native German.

Pope Francis will celebrate the Mass and preach the homily. He will be assisted by Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, the dean of the College of Cardinals, and other bishops and cardinals. Benedict XVI celebrated the Mass for his predecessor, Pope John Paul II, in 2005 as dean of the college of cardinals.

Some aspects of a papal funeral Mass will remain. Benedict will be buried with the coins and medals minted during his pontificate along with his palliums, the liturgical vestment reserved for the pope and a few high-ranking clergy. A cylinder containing a short description in Latin of Benedict’s papacy, called rogito, will also be placed within the coffin.

The staff usually carried by the reigning pope, called ferula, will not be interred with Benedict’s remains. The retired pontiff’s fisherman’s ring, a symbol of papal authority, has already been destroyed and will also not be placed in the coffin.

His cypress casket will be carried outside of the basilica at 8:45 a.m., when clergy and faithful will recite the rosary for the deceased pope emeritus. According to the Vatican, Benedict asked that his funeral Mass be “simple, solemn, but sober.” Roughly 60,000 people are expected to attend the ceremony, which will begin at 9:30 a.m.

Only Germany and Italy will send official delegations, led by President Frank-Walter Steinmeier and President Sergio Mattarella respectively. The Italian government announced it will be flying flags at half-staff to honor Benedict’s death. Representatives from other countries all over the world, including Belgium, Spain, Poland, Portugal and Hungary, will be attending.

U.S. Ambassador to the Holy See Joe Donnelly will represent the United States at the funeral and all seven U.S. cardinals will be present.

After the Mass, the coffin will be brought to the Vatican grottoes where popes are usually buried and there will be a final private ceremony for close relatives and friends. Following tradition for papal burials, the coffin will be placed within a zinc casket and then within a wooden one.

This article originally appeared here.

R.C. Sproul: What Is the Covenant of Redemption?

R.C. Sproul

January 5, 2023

covenant of redemption — Lightstock #87009

A persistent tradition claims that upon being mocked by a skeptic with regard to his doctrine of creation, Saint Augustine was cynically asked, “What was God doing before He created the world?” Augustine’s alleged reply was: “Creating hell for curious souls.”

The reply was, of course, tongue-in-cheek. The Bible doesn’t speak of such a special work of divine creation before creation itself. But Augustine’s bon mot had a serious point that warned against idle speculation of God’s activity in eternity.

However, quite apart from speculation, the Bible has much to say about God’s activity “before” the world was made. The Bible speaks often of God’s eternal counsel, of His plan of salvation and the like. It is a matter of theological urgency that Christians not think of God as a ruler who ad libs His dominion of the universe. God does not “make it up as He goes along.” Nor must He be viewed as a bumbling administrator who is so inept in His planning that His blueprint for redemption must be endlessly subject to revision according to the actions of men. The God of Scripture has no “plan b” or “plan c.” His “plan a” is from everlasting to everlasting. It is both perfect and unchangeable as it rests on God’s eternal character, which is among other things, holy, omniscient, and immutable. God’s eternal plan is not revised because of moral imperfections within it that must be purified. His plan was not corrected or amended because He gained new knowledge that He lacked at the beginning. God’s plan never changes because He never changes and because perfection admits to no degrees and cannot be improved upon.

The covenant of redemption is intimately concerned with God’s eternal plan. It is called a “covenant” inasmuch as the plan involves two or more parties. This is not a covenant between God and humans. It is a covenant among the persons of the Godhead, specifically between the Father and the Son. God did not become triune at creation or at the Incarnation. His triunity is as eternal as His being. He is one in essence and three in person from all eternity.

The covenant of redemption is a corollary to the doctrine of the Trinity. Like the word trinity, the Bible nowhere explicitly mentions it. The word trinity does not appear in the Bible, but the concept of the Trinity is affirmed throughout Scripture. Likewise, the phrase “covenant of redemption” does not occur explicitly in Scripture but the concept is heralded throughout.

Central to the message of Jesus is the declaration that He was sent into the world by the Father. His mission was not given to Him at His baptism or in the manger. He had it before His incarnation.

Central to the message of Jesus is the declaration that He was sent into the world by the Father.In the great “Kenotic Hymn” of Philippians 2, we get a glimpse of this:

Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross. Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. (Phil. 2:5–11, NKJV)

This passage reveals many things. It speaks of the willingness of the Son to undertake a mission of redemption at the behest of the Father. That Jesus was about doing the will of the Father is testified throughout His life. As a young boy in the temple He reminded His earthly parents that He must be about His Father’s business. His meat and drink was to do the will of His Father. It was zeal for His Father’s house that consumed Him. Repeatedly He declared that He spoke not on His own authority but on the authority of the One who sent Him.

Pastoring a Small Church Is Not a Penalty, It’s a Specialty

Karl Vaters

January 5, 2023

pastoring a small church — Lightstock #91706

For years I bucked against the idea that I am a small church pastor.

Instead of seeing it as my calling, my heart and my passion, I treated it like it was my penalty for not having the skills to be a big church pastor.

So I consumed every church growth book and devoured all the “10 Reasons Your Church Isn’t Getting Bigger” lists like they were a prescription for a disease. And if the prescription was to grow your church, the disease must be that the church was small. Or so I thought.

But the antidotes didn’t cure anything, because small churches are not a sickness to overcome, a problem to fix, or a theological error to correct.

Being a small church pastor isn’t my penalty for something I’ve done, or am doing wrong.

It’s my specialty. My niche.

And, since embracing it, it’s becoming an area of great joy and passion – even expertise.

Pastoring a Small Church

Lean In to Your Ministry Calling

Imagine if you went to medical school with the idea of being the world’s greatest surgeon but, instead of having the manual dexterity for surgery, you had a surprisingly ability to diagnose diseases others missed.

But you still wanted to be a surgeon. So, instead of going into residency to become a great diagnostician, you went back to whatever school would have you, as you tried in vain to become a better surgeon.

Determined not to give up, you became stubborn. Instead of helping to spare people from years of pain and sickness by correctly identifying diseases other doctors misdiagnosed, you kept fighting a losing battle to become a surgeon.

You didn’t want to “settle” for becoming a great diagnostician, so you “overcame” your weaknesses and became a mediocre surgeon.

Mediocre At Big, Or Great At Small?

We don’t need more pastors trying to become something they’re not.

We need dedicated, passionate ministers who are using the gifts they’ve been given. Even if those gifts lead them to different places than they expected to go.

It’s not giving up or settling for less to recognize that you’re called to be a small church pastor. As long as you do it with all the skill and passion you have.

We need to see small church pastoring as a specialty to embrace, not a penalty to endure. When we do, everything changes.

When we stop wasting so much time and energy trying to be something we’re not, we can discover what it means to be great at what we are called to do.

You’re not a small church pastor because you’re a lousy big church pastor. You’re a small church pastor because, if you embrace it, you can be great at it.

It’s all about attitude.

Don’t see it as a penalty, make it your specialty.

This article originally appeared here.

How Pastors Can Discern Their True Friends

Sam Rainer

January 5, 2023

Since I transitioned from the corporate world over a decade ago, I’ve been asked several times, “What’s the biggest surprise about being in ministry?” And surprisingly it has to do with true friends.

They are many, like having to lead worship from a karaoke machine at my first church (I’m not musically gifted, at all). Or dealing with insurance claims after our church was struck by lightening…twice in a month (I double-checked my theology after the second strike). Ministry is synonymous with surprises.

Among the biggest surprises is how hard it can be to discern true friends. Don’t get me wrong; most people in the church are friendly. Most people treat pastors with respect. But it can be hard to find friends among those you’re charged to shepherd. Sharing personal concerns, venting frustration or confessing sin can be hazardous for pastors if done with the wrong person.

Pastors often have friends outside the church, but here are some ways I’ve discerned my true friends in the church.

True friends remain loyal while knowing my ugliness.

I’ve got more than a few foibles. My weaknesses are many. True friends don’t change their friendship when you have bad moments. They may—and should—challenge your poor choices, but my true friends have stuck with me even when I’m ugly and mean.

True friends take the heat with me.

Pastors receive barbs. It’s part of being a leader. If you can’t take the heat, then don’t be pastor. But on occasion, pastors receive a bombardment of unwarranted condemnations from people in the church. True friends stand with you. In one of my most difficult moments in ministry, I had a good friend move out of his seat in a worship service, stand with me and put his arm around me. The whole church knew where he stood. I’ll never doubt his friendship.

True friends take the initiative to encourage me.

They take the time to check in without wanting anything in return. They send a quick text of encouragement, or leave a voice mail. I’m blessed to have friends in my church that take the initiative to encourage without any expectation of reciprocation.

True friends pray often for me.

Prayer is the unseen foundation of friendship, but you know it’s there because you feel the support. My true friends pray for me. They pray for my success. They pray that I’ll be protected from sin. They pray for my family. They pray I’ll be obedient.

I believe pastors can and should have friends within their congregations. Learning to discern and trust these friends is a process, but they exist. These friends will remain loyal to you, take the heat with you, encourage you and pray for you.

This article originally appeared here.

How to Set Your Small Group Launch Up for Success

Allen White

January 5, 2023

An ill-timed small group launch is nearly as bad as no small group launch at all. You probably launch groups along with everything else in the fall and in the New Year. Those are great windows to launch groups, so what’s the problem?

In most churches, the senior pastor wants to kick off a big fall series as soon as everyone has settled back into church. The pastor will give a “State of the Church” message right after New Year’s Day, then launches into a major sermon series. If these sermon series are aligned with a small group launch, then when do you recruit group leaders? And, when do you form groups? Before everybody gets back?

How Does a Small Group Launch Work?

Let’s say that everyone is back onsite in the fall around mid-August. This will vary from church to church by a few weeks either way. If your pastor plans a big fall kick off with a sermon series starting in mid-August, you have to recruit leaders and attempt to form groups in July and early August. For most churches that means you are trying to recruit leaders when many of your people are on vacation.

The same goes for the New Year. If your small group launch begins in early to mid-January, then you are recruiting group leaders and forming groups in December. But just in case you haven’t discovered this: nothing happens in December expect for Christmas.

Attempting to recruit leaders in the middle of summer or in December is completely futile. (Okay, maybe you recruited a couple of leaders once, but for the most part it’s futile.) You have to recruit leaders and form groups when your people are actually back. What does this mean?

Bible Reading Plan for Keeping Families in God’s Word

ChildrensMinistry.com

January 4, 2023

Are you looking for a family-friendly Bible reading plan? Get parents and children reading (and talking about) the Bible! This one-year Scripture-reading plan offers an overview of key events and people in God’s great story. Click here to submit your email address and then access the free download.

Children’s ministry workers, pastors and parents all want kids to develop a lifelong love for reading the Bible. And what better way than to make it a wonderful opportunity for families to spend time reading, talking, and bonding?

Share this easy Bible reading plan with parents and kids. When families commit to the plan, they’ll discover an overview of key biblical people and events. Together they’ll build good devotional habits and learn to think more deeply about God’s Word.

The Friends With God resources are a great supplement for kids to use during this Bible reading plan. The Friends With God Story Bible allows kids to see how God has always loved and worked through everyday people just like them. And the Friends With God Devotions for Kids gives kids a fresh look at God—who knows them, loves them, and is eager to draw close to them.

Bible Reading Plan: One Year in the Bible

Here’s how this plan works for families:

1. Post this Bible reading plan.

Place it somewhere the entire family will see it, like on your refrigerator.

2. Find the week’s passage in the Bible.

Read it together or on your own. (We suggest reading longer passages together over a few days.)

3. After each family member has read the passage, discuss the following questions:

What surprised you about this passage?
What do you think this passage shows us about God?
How do you think this passage relates to your life today?
What did you learn about the people in this passage?

Grow Your Children’s Ministry in the New Year With 10 Key Steps

Dale Hudson

January 4, 2023

Want to grow and strength your children’s ministry in the new year? The next 12 months will bring challenges plus great opportunities to impact kids and families for Christ. Many children’s ministries will plateau or even decline. But some programs will reach even more kids and families.

How does a children’s ministry grow? What sets thriving ministries apart from stagnant ones? Here are 10 important considerations for growth.

10 Ways to Grow a Children’s Ministry Program

**1. A children’s ministry that grows wants to grow. (I mean, really want to grow.)**

Everyone says they want to grow. But kidmin programs that actually do are willing to change what’s not working. They also venture into new territory and take risks. Ministries that are stagnant continue to rest in complacency. Meanwhile, ministries that grow passionately strive to spread the Gospel.

2. A children’s ministry that grows makes sure it has room to grow.

If your space is 85% full, then your growth will be capped. This includes adult worship space, parking lot, hallways and classrooms. You can create more space by obviously building more space. But you can also start additional services, ask key families to move to a different service hour, or launch an additional campus.

Here’s an easy way to check if you have room to grow. Take your total room capacity and multiply it x .85. For example, If your children’s ministry rooms have a total room capacity of 100, then multiply that x .85. The answer is 85. If more than 85 kids attend at once in that space, then your growth is capped. If you want to grow, you need to adjust.

3. A children’s ministry that grows offers guests a great experience.

Following up with guests certainly helps. But the main factor in seeing guests return is giving them a great first experience. This includes convenient parking, quick check-in, and great signage. Also provide welcoming greeters and someone to walk families to classrooms.

Stats show that church visitors decide in the first eight minutes if they’ll return. Ministries must work hard to ensure those eight minutes are great for families

4. A children’s ministry that grows gets kids and families excited about bringing guests to church.

Without new people coming into the church, no growth occurs. Which ministries will have guests come? Those that create a culture of investment and invitation among attendees. They provide invite tools and tell the stories of people who bring friends to church.

5. A children’s ministry that grows has safe and secure environments.

In today’s world, safety is a big deal for parents. If parents don’t feel their kids are safe at church, they simply won’t return.

Ministries that grow will have a check-in/check-out process that’s followed. They’ll have volunteer or even uniformed officers in hallways. Plus, they need a clear process for on-boarding new volunteers. Guidelines must be in place; for example, volunteers can’t be alone with a child, classroom doors must be secured once the service starts, etc.

Find great advice for keeping your ministry safe at the Safety and Security in Children’s Ministry webinar. Hear from top experts, including a former Secret Service agent who guarded the president. Find more info at this link.

6. A children’s ministry that grows has good volunteer-to-child ratios.

Having a solid team of kidmin volunteers is essential. Growing ministries know this and focus on building a healthy, solid, growing team. The right volunteer ratios not only make it safer for the children. It also helps them be personally known and receive care and prayer. When this happens, kids return and attend more frequently.

Tod Bolsinger: The 1 Key to Adapting and Leading in a Changing World

Jason Daye

January 4, 2023

How can we lead effectively in ministry when we are faced with the onslaught of an ever-increasing frequency of changes in the world around us? In this conversation on FrontStage BackStage, host Jason Daye is joined by Tod Bolsinger, executive director of the Church Leadership Institute at Fuller, founder of AE Sloan Leadership, and the best-selling author of Canoeing the Mountains and his latest, Tempered Resilience. Together, Tod and Jason look at the personal transformation that must take place in a ministry leader’s life to help them create adaptive capacity, so they can lead most effectively in our changing world.

FrontStage BackStage Guest Tod Bolsinger

Watch the entire podcast here.

Keep Learning

Looking to dig more deeply into this topic and conversation? Every episode we go the extra mile and create a free toolkit so you and your ministry team can dive deeper into the topic that is discussed. Find your Weekly Toolkit here… Love well, Live well, Lead well!

Video links to this week’s episode – easily share with the ministry leaders in your church
Audio links to this week’s episode – easily share with the ministry leaders in your church
Additional resource links from this week’s conversation – so you and your team can easily find what is mentioned or referenced
Ministry Leaders Growth Guide – key insights and concepts from this week’s conversation as well as engaging questions for you and your team to consider and process
Full-text transcript of this week’s episode – review something you heard, pass along snippets, post tweets, create presentations to share, or use in whatever way you find most helpful in developing your ministry leaders
Shareable Social Graphics – Feel free to post them on your church social accounts, your personal accounts, or use them as graphics in your communications

Podcast Links

YouTube https://youtu.be/NgynAmBFWPs

Apple https://apple.co/3Xmtmue

Spotify https://spoti.fi/3TWpltC

‘I Saw the Vision of Jesus Christ’–‘Paper Planes’ Rapper Shares She Has Become a Born-Again Christian

Jessica Lea

January 4, 2023

M.I.A. — Interscope Records, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

British rapper M.I.A., known for her singles “Bad Girls” and “Paper Planes,” has become a born-again Christian after having a vision of Jesus. The artist, whose real name is Mathangi “Maya” Arulpragasam, spoke out recently against people who have been critical of this spiritual change.

“The fact that the biggest back lash [sic] in my career and life I’m facing after saying ‘Jesus is real’ is such a revelation to me,” Arulpragasam tweeted Dec. 28. “People who control these apps rather me be a bad girl, [than] a good one.”

The fact that the biggest back lash in my career and life I’m facing after saying “Jesus is real” is such a revelation to me. People who control these apps rather me be a bad girl , then a good one.

— M.I.A. (@MIAuniverse) December 28, 2022

M.I.A.: ‘It Was Jesus’

Mathangi Arulpragasam was born in London, England, to parents of Sri Lankan Tamil heritage. Her parents moved back to Sri Lanka when she was six months old, but when she was 11, the family returned to London as refugees due to the Sri Lankan Civil War. The war has heavily influenced M.I.A.’s work, and defining themes of her music include resisting excess, economic inequality, and unity among all people.

M.I.A. is notable for being one of the earliest artists to become known through the internet. She has released a total of six albums at this point in her career, the latest of which was “Mata” in October 2022. In 2009 she was nominated for an Academy Award for the song, “O…Saya,” which was on the soundtrack of the film “Slumdog Millionaire.” The single “Paper Planes,” also on the soundtrack, was an international success, making Top 20 charts in multiple countries and rising to the fourth position in the U.S. on the Billboard Hot 100.

In an interview with Apple Music’s Zane Lowe, Arulpragasam shared that in 2017, she had “a weird spiritual experience.” She was in the Caribbean when, she says, “I had a vision and I saw the vision of Jesus Christ…it’s a very crazy thing because it turned my world upside down. Because everything I thought and believed was no longer, like, the case. And I think that was maybe a sign that something major was going to happen in the world, you know, and that people were needing to be introduced to this concept.”

When Lowe asked Arulpragasam if she is now a born-again Christian, she responded, “I am. I’m not going to lie…even if it costs me my career, I won’t lie. I will tell the truth, and I will tell you what’s on my mind and my heart.”

Lowe pointed out there are people who will rationalize Arulpragasam’s experience, explaining it with scientific instead of supernatural reasons. She responded that she was not using drugs when she had the encounter with Jesus and that she was not even interested in the Christian God.

“I was very comfortable in Hinduism at the time it happened. Like, I loved it,” said Arulpragasam. She says she does not know why the vision happened, but speculated, “Maybe there was just enough Christians praying for me.”

At one point in the interview, Lowe observed that “fundamentalist” religion comes with rules and requirements, and he questioned whether Arulpragasam would have to comply with those. The rapper countered that there are extremes in every area of life, including music, and implied that she will attempt to avoid such extremes when it comes to her religious beliefs. “I think this is going to be my journey for a while,” she said.

ESPN Analyst Dan Orlovsky Prays for Damar Hamlin on Live TV—‘Maybe This Is Not the Right Thing To Do, but I Want To’

Jesse T. Jackson

January 4, 2023

On Tuesday (Jan. 3), ESPN analyst Dan Orlovsky told viewers, “Maybe this is not the right thing to do, but I want to,” right before praying for Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin during an episode of NFL Live.

Hamlin was injured during the first quarter of Monday night’s game against the Cincinnati Bengals after tackling Tee Higgins. Hamlin appeared to be unaffected by the tackle, but roughly three seconds after rising to his feet, he fell lifelessly to the ground because of cardiac arrest.

Medical crews and team trainers worked on Hamlin, administering CPR, while teammates and Bengals’ players helplessly surrounded their injured brother on the field.

As the ambulance pulled off the field, Bills’ players and team personnel were seen kneeling and praying where Hamlin had been seconds before—an image that was later released on the Bills’ social media and has become a rally cry for people’s prayers about the 24-year-old’s athlete’s health.

NFL players praying on the field is not an uncommon site, especially when a player is injured or at the end of a game. Conversely, what retired 13-year NFL veteran quarterback Orlovsky did during ESPN’s NFL Live is unprecedented.

Joined by host Laura Rutledge and former NFL defensive end Marcus Spears, Orlovsky said, “Football gave me everything. You know, and I think even through the midst of absolute tragedy last night, I think some of the beauty of football as well is that has brought us all here together.”

“I’ve heard the phrase ‘thoughts and prayers’ all day, and people asking others to pray for Hamlin,” Orlovsky said. “I’ve heard the Buffalo Bills organization say ‘we believe in prayer,’ and maybe this is not the right thing to do, but I want to—it’s just on my heart that I want to pray for Damar Hamlin right now.”

As Spears voiced agreement, Orlovsky explained that he was going to close his eyes, bow his head, and pray aloud.

“God, we come to you in these moments that we don’t understand, that are hard, because we believe that you’re God, and coming to you and praying to you has impact,” Orlovsky prayed. “We’re sad. We’re angry, and we want answers. But some things are unanswerable. We just want to pray, truly come to you, and pray for strength for Damar, for healing for Damar, for comfort for Damar to be with his family to give them peace.”

Orlovsky continued, “If we believed that prayer didn’t work, we wouldn’t ask this of you God. I believe in prayer. We believe in prayer. We lift up to Damar Hamlin’s name in your name. Amen.”

Christine Caine to Passion Attendees: Pursue and Linger in God’s Presence

Stephanie Martin

January 4, 2023

During the opening session of Passion 2023 yesterday (January 3), Australian-born speaker, author, and activist Christine Caine told young people to use their “all-access passes” to enter and linger in God’s presence. She also reminded Christians and leaders who’ve become discouraged to remember that God is still covering and protecting them.

Caine, 56, recently received a master’s degree in evangelism and leadership. She’s part of the Passion 2023 lineup in Atlanta; Dallas/Fort Worth is the second location for this year’s conference, themed “For the Fame of Jesus.” Although sessions are sold out, viewers can register and watch online.

Since its 1997 founding by Louie and Shelley Giglio, the Passion Conference has assembled 18- to 25-year-olds to worship and live for Jesus.

Christine Caine: God Is Faithful and Will Prevail

Christine Caine based her 50-minute talk on Exodus 33, just after the children of Israel had made a golden calf. At that point, she says, God’s people were “very traumatized”—not unlike us today. Because they forgot about God’s deliverance and felt abandoned, they did “really dumb stuff,” she notes. But despite their—and our—unfaithfulness, God remains faithful. “God cannot be unfaithful to his promises and to his purposes in your life,” Caine says, adding, “It’s God’s purpose that will prevail, not our plans.”

Pointing to her own challenges, including childhood poverty and years of sexual abuse, Caine assures listeners that the enemy can’t quench God’s purpose for their life. Rather, focusing on God and surrendering to him will lead to the “greatest harvest,” which she says God will usher in through this generation.

Caine warns listeners not to pursue anything “at the expense of God’s absence,” because there’s no point of getting anything unless God’s in it. He is what we ultimately desire, she says, noting, “I’d rather be in the wilderness with God than in the promised land without him!”

Jesus’ Followers Have Unlimited Access to Him

Moving to verses 7 through 11, Christine Caine describes the tent of meeting, where anyone could consult with the Lord. Although going there required “great intentionality” amid life’s distractions, the payoff was enormous.

In the tent, Moses could speak to God like “a friend,” yet the rest of the people just watched from afar. Although they were reverent and bowed, they didn’t boldly enter God’s presence. Citing Hebrews 10, Caine points out, “We don’t have to make sacrifices or clean ourselves up” first, thanks to Jesus, our great high priest.

Pointing to the all-access pass hanging from her lanyard, she says, “Imagine if I had this pass and yet didn’t ever use it.” If you’re in Christ, you too have an all-access pass, she says.

‘SatanCon’ To Take Place in Boston; Event Dedicated to City Officials Who Barred Satanic Temple From Delivering Invocation

Dale Chamberlain

January 4, 2023

The Satanic Temple (TST) is bringing SatanCon to downtown Boston, Massachusetts, on April 28-30. In an Instagram post promoting the event, TST boasts that it will be “the largest satanic gathering in history.”

Referred to as a “weekend of blasphemy and remembrance,” the theme of the conference is “Hexennacht in Boston.” Hexennacht is one of the five religious holidays TST celebrates, a German feast that takes place every April and commemorates the canonization of Saint Walpurga.

A promotional video for the conference includes the Latin phrase “Sicut matribus sit satanas nobis,” which roughly translates to “Let Satan be to us as a mother.”

While TST has confirmed the conference’s location and reserved a hotel block, presenters and vendors have yet to be announced. The event will also commemorate the 10 year anniversary of TST’s founding.

Founded in 2013, the Satanic Temple is really more of a secular humanist organization that employs religious imagery than an actual occult enclave. Nevertheless, they received tax-exempt status as a recognized religion in 2019.

According to its website, the mission of TST “is to encourage benevolence and empathy among all people, reject tyrannical authority, advocate practical common sense and justice, and be directed by the human conscience to undertake noble pursuits.”

TST is dedicating the SatanCon event to Boston mayor Michelle Wu “for her unconstitutional efforts to keep TST out of Boston’s public spaces.” TST brought a lawsuit against the city of Boston in 2021 after being denied multiple requests to deliver the invocation at a City Council meeting.

TST has argued that this was a violation of their First Amendment rights, as the City Council has long allowed clergy and representatives from other faiths to deliver the invocation.

Similarly, the conference was held in Scottsdale, Arizona, last year and was dedicated to Scottsdale Mayor Jim Lane and Council member Suzanne Klapp, who also denied the group’s request to deliver the invocation at a City Council meeting there.

TST had likewise sued the city of Scottsdale for an alleged First Amendment violation, though the court eventually ruled in favor of the city.

Robby Gallaty: Why It Will Cost You To Ignore Discipleship

Jessica Lea

January 4, 2023

The Stetzer ChurchLeaders Podcast · Robby Gallaty: Why It Will Cost You To Ignore Discipleship

Robby Gallaty has served as senior pastor of Long Hollow Church in Hendersonville, Tennessee, since 2015 and is the founder of Replicate Ministries. He is the author of several books, including “Rediscovering Discipleship: Making Jesus’ Final Words Our First Work” and “Growing Up: How to Be a Disciple Who Makes Disciples,” which has recently been revised and updated.

Other Ways To Listen to This Podcast With Robby Gallaty

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Key Questions for Robby Gallaty

-What happened at Long Hollow after you took over the reins as pastor?

-What is the American church doing well regarding discipleship and where do we need to improve?

-How do we have the kind of growing discipleship that doesn’t cause us to lose our evangelistic passion?

-How would you advise a pastor to implement disciple-making strategies?

Key Quotes From Robby Gallaty

“I always like to pause and say sobriety without Christ is a dead end street. I tried it before. You need something, someone outside of yourself to set you free from the sin that captures you and controls you.”

“I put the little bit of faith I had in as much of Jesus as I knew, and it was enough to be radically saved.”

“For two years, David Platt and I met twice a week to memorize Scripture, study the Bible. And people say, what was it like to learn from David Platt? Did you talk about the finer tenets of systematic theology and eschatology? Yes, we did, but I don’t remember really any of that. I remember how he lived his life.”

“I’m the product of discipleship, you know, that’s why I’m so passionate about discipleship.”

“Exponential growth, it’s not magic. I tell people it’s math. Really, Jesus was the first, ‘network marketer.’ I mean, he knew the power of investing in a few.”

“[When I came to Long Hollow], we were putting people in the church as fast through the front door as they were going out the back door. It was like this escalator evangelism, I call it.”

Congress’ New Class Has Much Higher Percentage of Christians Than American Public

Adelle M Banks

January 4, 2023

(RNS) — The religious makeup of the new Congress bucks the trends seen in American religious life, a new report finds.

The Pew Research Center says the Senate and House members are “largely untouched” by the continuing decrease in the portion of Americans who identify as Christian and the comparable increase in the share of those who say they do not have a religious affiliation.

Christians comprise 88% of the voting members of the 118th Congress who are expected to be sworn in this week (week of Jan. 3), a number that has not changed much since the 1970s, when 91% of members said they were affiliated with that faith.

The American population, on the other hand, has seen a drop in those identifying as Christians, from 78% in 2007 to 63% currently. Close to 3 in 10 Americans (29%) say they are religiously unaffiliated — atheist, agnostic or “nothing in particular” — a far larger portion than 16% in 2007.

Sen. Kyrsten Sinema, an independent from Arizona, remains the only member of the new Congress who uses the description of religiously unaffiliated. Rep. Jared Huffman, D-Calif., described himself as humanist. Huffman also said he was “the token humanist in Congress” when he spoke via videotaped remarks to the Freedom From Religion Foundation’s annual convention in October.

Another 20 members are listed as having no known religious affiliations. Most of them declined to state an affiliation when asked by CQ Roll Call, whose data is the primary source of analysis for the Pew biennial report. The “Faith on the Hill” report noted that Rep. George Santos, R-N.Y., was “moved to this category following revelations that he misrepresented parts of his life story and resume during his 2022 midterm campaign.”

The number of Christians — 469 — within the new Congress does mark the lowest number since Pew began its analysis of religious affiliation of the 111th Congress at the beginning of the 2009-10 session. But just by a hair. The number of Christians in Congress was above 470 in the eight most recent sessions and exceeded 500 as of 1970.

Overall, the 118th Congress looks similar to the previous body when comparing the two religiously.

Of the 534 total congressional members, 303 Protestants are being sworn in for the 2023-24 session, compared to 297 in the one that just ended. The number of Baptists remained the same — at 67 — while the number of Methodists and Episcopalians dropped by four each; Presbyterians had one fewer member. Catholics saw a drop of 10, with a new total of 148, but still comprise a greater share of Congress (28%) than they do the overall U.S. population (21%).

The members of Congress aligned with The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, or Mormon church, remained unchanged: nine. And the number of Orthodox Christians increased by one to eight. Rep. Anna Paulina Luna, R-Fla., is the sole member of the new Congress who identifies herself as Messianic Jewish; she has also described herself as a Christian.

The number of Jews decreased by one to 33 members and all three Muslims and two Hindus were reelected in the House as well as all three members who identify as Unitarian Universalist.

Here are some of the other findings related to Congress’ religious makeup:

Both chambers are dominated by Christians numerically.
Almost all Republicans — 268 out of 271 — and three quarters of Democrats — 201 of 263 — identify themselves as Christians.
All nine members of Congress who are Mormons are Republicans while Orthodox Christians are evenly split, with four from each major political party.
Almost two-thirds (64%) of newcomers to Congress are Protestant; a bit more than half (55%) of incumbents identify with that branch of Christianity.
There are fewer Catholic first-timers than returning members of Congress (22% compared with 29%).

This article originally appeared here.

Open Doors USA Leaves Open Doors International, Relaunches as Global Christian Relief

Emily McFarlan Miller

January 4, 2023

global_open_doors_usa — Open Doors USA is rebranding as Global Christian Relief. Image courtesy of GCR

(RNS) — Open Doors USA, the U.S.-based arm of the global Christian persecution watchdog, has parted ways with Open Doors International and relaunched this month as Global Christian Relief.

It maintains the same board of directors and CEO, David Curry.

Meanwhile, in a separate statement, Open Doors said it will maintain a presence in the U.S. and announced Lisa Pearce as interim CEO of its U.S. office.

Global Christian Relief will continue to protect and encourage persecuted Christians around the world, according to a written statement from Curry, who is a member of the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom. It also will equip the Western church to advocate and pray for those Christians, he said.

A pop-up on the Global Christian Relief homepage states the organization changed its name to reflect “a larger vision to mobilize dedicated Christians like you to support our persecuted family.”

According to Curry’s statement, the leadership of Open Doors USA and Open Doors International began to pray about and discuss their relationship in June 2022: “How could each entity best fulfill its complementary missions and long-term strategies?” he said.

“Both boards prayerfully agreed that their respective missions would be best achieved by moving forward without a formal affiliation. Both organizations remain committed to serving the persecuted church and will continue to work independently to advocate and mobilize support and prayer for this vital cause,” Curry continued.

However, Open Doors said on its website that the organization “continues in the U.S., fully dedicated to the mission and vision of our late founder Brother Andrew to serve persecuted Christians.”

Andrew van der Bijl, known widely as Brother Andrew, founded Open Doors in 1955 to support persecuted Christians around the world. Van der Bijl died in September at age 90.

Open Doors works with churches and local partners in countries around the world to provide Bibles, Christian materials, training and advocacy for Christians who are persecuted for their faith.

The organization also releases a World Watch List every year detailing countries where Christians are most persecuted. The list will mark its 30^th anniversary when Open Doors releases its 2023 report on Jan. 18.

Pearce, the new interim CEO of the U.S. office, has worked with Open Doors for 16 years, serving as CEO and board member for Open Doors UK and Ireland and later as chief development and advocacy officer for Open Doors International.

“We remain steadfast in doing whatever it takes to support both the visible and the underground church in the countries where it is most dangerous to live as a Christian,” she said in the message on the Open Doors website.

Open Doors’ homepage now directs users to a new U.S. website at www.opendoorsus.org.

A statement from Open Doors announcing Pearce as interim CEO did not name Global Christian Relief but said Curry had left Open Doors to lead a “separate unaffiliated organization.”

This article originally appeared here.

Street Apologetics

Greg Stier

January 4, 2023

street apologetics — Adobestock #293370691

According to George Barna, this current generation of teenagers—nicknamed “Gen Z”—is the first “post-Christian” generation in U.S. history.

So, as we seek to equip our teenagers to reach their non-Christian friends, we need to teach them apologetics. What is apologetics? According to the Christian Apologetics and Research Ministry (carm.org): “Apologetics is the branch of Christianity that deals with the defense and establishment of the Christian faith.”

Why Street Apologetics?

STREET apologetics is a term I use to describe helpful insights I learned while doing evangelism on the streets. Teenagers (and adults!) can use these strategies on any “streets” they walk on—social media conversations, the halls of their schools, and of course, actual streets!

It’s also a simple acrostic that spells out “street”:

Stay dependent on the Spirit.

Trust in the truth.

Remember to ask – admire – admit.

Engage them by using four questions.

Explain the Gospel no matter what.

Treat them with kindness.

Each of these six points will help your teenagers learn to effectively navigate the sometimes difficult conversations that happen when they engage their peers with the Gospel.

Stay Dependent on the Spirit.

“…do not worry about what to say or how to say it. At that time you will be given what to say, for it will not be you speaking, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you.” (Matthew 10:19-20)

It’s so important for teenagers to learn what it means to lean fully on the Spirit of God, who will give them the wisdom to know what to say and the power to say it boldly, as they share their faith. The Holy Spirit can fill them with divine power to be his witnesses (Acts 1:8) anytime, anywhere, to anyone.

Trust in the Truth of God’s Word and the Resurrection of Christ.

The Bible was written by 40 men from three different continents and a variety of backgrounds (kings, shepherds, fishermen, scholars, and more) over a period of 1,500 years, yet there are no unexplainable errors or contradictions. It continually proves to be historically, geographically, and archeologically accurate. The only way this could have happened is if the Holy Spirit guided the writers and the process, and that it’s the actual Word of God!

As Proverbs 30:5 reminds us, “Every word of God is flawless.” And God Himself inspired every word in the Bible (2 Timothy 3:16).

The evidence of Jesus’s resurrection also substantiates Christianity. As Paul wrote:

For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that He was buried, that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, and that He appeared to Peter, and then to the Twelve. After that, He appeared to more than five hundred of the brothers and sisters at the same time, most of whom are still living, though some have fallen asleep. (1 Corinthians 15:3-6)

More than 500 people encountered Jesus in physical form after His well- documented and horrific execution at the hands of Roman soldiers. Many of these witnesses were willing to suffer torture and death because they refused to deny what they saw. As someone once said, people may die for what they think to be the truth, but nobody will die for what they know to be a lie.

Let’s Stop Over-Interpreting Agape vs Phileo

Kenny Burchard

January 4, 2023

agape vs phileo — Lightstock #300944 / 300942

When I was about 19 years old and a very new Christian, one of my friends who was an older Christian was encouraging me to love Jesus with my whole heart, and to hold nothing back. That is the best kind of encouragement a person can give a young Christian. In order to accomplish this, though, my friend turned in his Bible to the Gospel of John 21:15-17. Through tears, my friend read these verses, opposing agape vs phileo to me in the following way, using Greek words after English words in several places just as I do below:

15 When they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon, son of John, do you love me—agape love—more than these?” He said to him, “Yes, Lord; you know that I love you—phileo love.” He said to him, “Feed my lambs.” 16 He said to him a second time, “Simon, son of John, do you love me—agape love?” He said to him, “Yes, Lord; you know that I love you—phileo love.” He said to him, “Tend my sheep.” 17 He said to him the third time, “Simon, son of John, do you love me—phileo love?” Peter was grieved because he said to him the third time, “Do you love me—phileo love?” and he said to him, “Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you—phileo love.” Jesus said to him, “Feed my sheep.

My friend then took off his glasses to wipe his tears away, and said something like, “See! If you don’t know the Greek words, you don’t see what’s going on in this text. Jesus was asking Peter if he loved him unconditionally, and Peter kept saying that he only loved Jesus like a brother. Finally, Jesus asked if he really loved him with phileo love, but Jesus really wanted Peter to love him with agape love, which is perfect, God-like, unconditional love!”

I remember thinking that it would be cool to have such amazing “insight” back then. Problem is, it’s not really insight at all. It’s actually a case of over-interpreting Greek synonyms, and then making more of the over-interpretation than the text would ever lead anyone who actually knows better to make. I have sat through more sermons than I can count and listened to pastors give protracted overviews of the (so-called) “three kinds of love” in the Bible.

Agape vs Phileo and the 3 Kinds of Love

Eros – Erotic or sexual love (the bad kind, or lowest kind in the matrix)
Phileo – Brotherly or familial love (a better kind than eros, but still not the best kind in the matrix)
Agape – Perfect or unconditional, or even “The God-kind,” of love (the best kind in the matrix)

This is what we may call “Strong’s Concordance” Greek. It’s done by lots and lots of people who have learned to look up the lexical forms of Greek words in their Strong’s Concordance without knowing much of anything about Greek grammar, or the ways in which word usage is a primary aspect of determining word meaning in biblical literature (just as it is in our own language and literature). These gaps in understanding often lead to these kinds of exegetical fallacies that come off sounding deep and insightful to others who are just as uninformed. Additionally, these Greek gymnastics actually lead to missing the actual point of a text that is often right in front of our faces in favor of more “oooh-aaaaah deep and insightful” conclusions that are really not good conclusions at all.

An example of Agape vs Phileo

In reality, when Jesus was asking if Peter loved him (agape love), and Peter was answering that he loved Jesus (phileo love), they both would have understood that their words were completely reasonable synonyms. The third instance in which Jesus asks Peter if he loves him (phileo love) is interpreted by the narrator, John, to be a repetition of the first two occurrences, in which Jesus uses agape (cf. Jn. 21:17). The point of Jesus’ thrice-repeated question to Peter is not secretly hidden from our English-speaking eyes in the use of two different Greek words. Rather, the point is that Jesus, sitting by a fire made with charcoal, fully restored Peter by giving him a three-fold opportunity to undo what he had done three times by another charcoal fire three chapters earlier (see Jn. 21:9 and compare Jn. 18:18). What Peter had done three times by the first charcoal fire (denied that he even knew Jesus) he reversed, with the help of Jesus, three times by the second charcoal fire (confessed his love for Jesus three times).

But let me prove (based only on how the apostle John uses both Greek words) that we should just stop categorizing these synonyms for love as fundamentally and essentially different kinds or qualities of love in which one is lower (but good) love compared with higher (best and unconditional) love. Both words can be used as synonyms for love. It is not agape vs phileo, but it is context (the actual situational usage) that tells us what is meant. For instance:

Agape vs Phileo in John’s Gospel

John uses agape (in various forms) about 37 times

Hover over these references to see them if you like (Jn. 3:16, 3:19, 3:35, 8:42, 10:17, 11:5, 12:43, 13:1, 13:23, 13:34, 14:15, 14:21, 14:23, 14:24, 14:28, 14:31, 15:9, 15:12, 15:17, 17:23, 17:24, 17:26, 19:26, 21:7, 21:15, 21:16, 21:20).

To John, does agape always mean “the God kind of love” or “perfect unconditional love” every time he uses it? Answer: Nope. If John thinks that’s what the word means, then why does he say that…

People loved (agape love) the darkness rather than light in Jn. 3:19.
The Pharisees loved (agape love) the approval of men more than the praise of God in Jn. 12:43.

Does John really mean to say that people had God’s perfect self-giving unconditional and holy love (the supposed and often-asserted meaning of agape love) for darkness and the approval of men? Be honest, doesn’t that sound weird? Yes it does. And when we load up Greek words with meaning that they don’t always have (ignoring situational usage as the key to word meaning), we won’t land in the right place.

Okay, but what about phileo love?

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Pastoring a Small Church

Lean In to Your Ministry Calling

Mediocre At Big, Or Great At Small?

Pastors often have friends outside the church, but here are some ways I’ve discerned my true friends in the church.

True friends remain loyal while knowing my ugliness.

True friends take the heat with me.

True friends take the initiative to encourage me.

True friends pray often for me.

How Does a Small Group Launch Work?

Bible Reading Plan: One Year in the Bible

1. Post this Bible reading plan.

2. Find the week’s passage in the Bible.

3. After each family member has read the passage, discuss the following questions:

10 Ways to Grow a Children’s Ministry Program

1. A children’s ministry that grows wants to grow. (I mean, really want to grow.)

2. A children’s ministry that grows makes sure it has room to grow.

3. A children’s ministry that grows offers guests a great experience.

4. A children’s ministry that grows gets kids and families excited about bringing guests to church.

5. A children’s ministry that grows has safe and secure environments.

6. A children’s ministry that grows has good volunteer-to-child ratios.

FrontStage BackStage Guest Tod Bolsinger

Keep Learning

Podcast Links

M.I.A.: ‘It Was Jesus’

Christine Caine: God Is Faithful and Will Prevail

Jesus’ Followers Have Unlimited Access to Him

Other Ways To Listen to This Podcast With Robby Gallaty

Key Questions for Robby Gallaty

Key Quotes From Robby Gallaty

Why Street Apologetics?

Stay Dependent on the Spirit.

Trust in the Truth of God’s Word and the Resurrection of Christ.

Agape vs Phileo and the 3 Kinds of Love

An example of Agape vs Phileo

Agape vs Phileo in John’s Gospel

New Articles

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**1. A children’s ministry that grows wants to grow. (I mean, really want to grow.)**