by Craig McAndrews | Oct 26, 2015 | Articles, Testimonies
I heard a radio station share a story that really caught my attention. The host was discussing a study done by a prominent institution that revealed three characteristics of children who grew up in the church and continued to grow in their faith long after they went out on their own. I was super interested in the article because I have two boys at home who are involved in our church, have professed faith in Christ, periodically read their Bible and aren’t afraid to pray. However, I also know that they are young (15 and 11), and a good bit of their faith is still connected to my wife and I. The research suggested that the most important skills adopted were: (1) They learned how to read and study the Bible (2) They were taught how to share the gospel (3) They actively participated in discipling other believers. For anyone that is a follower of Christ and has studied the calling of Jesus this list may seem like Christ-follower 101. However, I realized that no one is going to teach these skills to my boys except for me; it is what God has called me to do! So to that end, I set out on a mission to equip my boys to do each of these. I would love to share with you the great success I am having by highlighting the progress of our work by listing the verses they have memorized, the number of people they have led to Christ, or the number of friends they are actively discipling. Unfortunately, none of that is really happening. The...
by Gayle Jackson | Oct 12, 2015 | Articles, Mentors Corner
The value of being a Zealot Words We learn and discuss and think with words. And yet we tend to be sloppy in our understanding and definition of words. This is especially true in matters of our faith. Remember the old saying “he who defines the words wins the argument”. Some words that are in much debate in the body are: 1. Salvation 4. Imputed vs Actual 2. Sanctification 5. Accountability 3. Legalism 6. Fear of God Your view of the commandments of the bible and their meaning and authority will bring you into conflict with the body. For instance, thoughts on obedience: if I said that we are called to live a zealous obedient life in God’s Word, and if I said that the number one expression of Grace in our lives is our obedience to God’s Word and if I said to be Holy, my life must be directed by obedience to God’s Word, most would classify me either as a legalist or a nut. In today’s church the committed man of obedience is looked down on in Christianity as legalistic. And a legalistic person is to be shunned and criticized. What does that word legalistic mean? It is not used in the Bible but is clearly in the lexicon of Christianity. There are 3 definitions that I know of that are commonly associated with being legalistic. One who thinks obedient behavior is a key to their salivation or favor with God (of course this is wrong). One who imposes their convictions, (convictions not commands) or standards on someone else as a requirement for an association...
by Walt Henrichsen | Oct 5, 2015 | Articles, Mentors Corner
“Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a workman who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth.” 2 Timothy 2:15 There is perpetual tension between viewing Scripture objectively, on the one hand, and acknowledging its authority, on the other. Those who believe the Bible agree that it is the inspired Word of God, and that we are obliged to obey it. But authority is restrictive; I want to do what I want. Therefore we are more prone to manipulate Scripture than any other literature. For example, there is no necessity to manipulate the intent of the information in the morning newspaper, simply because we are not under its authority. This is the reason liberal commentators on the Bible are often more accurate than conservative commentators. Liberals don’t view Scripture as authoritative, don’t feel obligated to obey it, and therefore tend to be more objective in their interpretation. Dependence, surrender, neutrality, an eagerness to obey God, no vested interest in the outcome, not trying to build anything – these are key to knowing God and His ways. The urge to manipulate authority is great, and the more absolute the authority, the greater the urge to manipulate. CLICK HERE for more articles by this...
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