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 Sean Moorhead | Sep 14, 2015 | Articles, Testimonies
“[W]e are taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ.” 2 Cor 10:5c I believe that the basics of the Christian life – basic blocking and tackling – happens between our ears (in our minds). Every sin either starts with a thought or consists of a thought, so how we handle our thoughts is critical. Sometimes I feel like I have a random thought generator in my head. There is stuff that God hears and I hear that I would never share with any human being (except perhaps an accountability brother). Talking with guys, I believe a lot of men have the same experience. Where do these thoughts come from? I’m not exactly sure, but it is usually safe to assume that such thoughts come from the world, the flesh, or the devil, or some collusive combination. What do we do with those thoughts? My current Paul (Christian mentor) says we need to change the channel of our minds. But how actually do we do that? From martial arts, I’ve taught myself to think in terms of “the instant of the thought.” Some martial arts teach actions at the instant of the punch, the instant of the grab, or the instant of the kick. We train to respond immediately and reflexively in those instances. I believe as intentional Christians, we ought to train ourselves to respond immediately and reflexively at the instant of a thought. I see this modeled by our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. In Matthew chapter 4 and Luke chapter 4 Jesus faced temptation by the master deceiver and master accuser. Jesus responded in the same manner...
by MIMADMIN | May 8, 2015 | Testimonies
In the summer, two of my grandsons and I were meeting weekly for bible study. When school started it became difficult to schedule time for the study. One of the boys mentioned that a friend had set a goal to read through the bible in one year. I made a commitment to the boys to also read through the bible during the coming year and send to them by e-mail my thoughts on some portion of the scripture I had read each day. An example follows: Numbers 19, 20, Psalm 28 & Mark 5 Mark 5:16 Those who had seen it described to them how it had happened to the demon-possessed man, and all about the swine. 17 And they began to implore Him to leave their region . 18 As He was getting into the boat, the man who had been demon-possessed was imploring Him that he might accompany Him. 19And He did not let him, but He said to him, “Go home to your people and report to them what great things the Lord has done for you, and how He had mercy on you.” 20 And he went away and began to proclaim in Decapolis what great things Jesus had done for him; and everyone was amazed. (Observation) When Jesus ordered the legion of demons to “Come out of the man, you unclean spirit!” they ask to be sent into a herd of swine. Jesus allowed it and the swine drowned. The people were afraid and ask Jesus to leave. The cleansed man wanted to leave with Jesus, but Jesus commanded him to be a witness...
by Rob Amerine | May 8, 2015 | Testimonies
If you have been walking with Christ for more than a few years you’ve probably found yourself wondering at some point “why is making Him a priority everyday so hard ?” The greatest command given to us is simply, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.” (Luke 22:37) Now we all know the challenge is figuring how to apply it in our own lives but even more challenging is trying to encourage another brother to do the same. Many years ago I got into a discussion with a brother that I was meeting 1-on-1 with about the importance of spending daily quiet time with God and being in His Word. After many failed attempts and him making re-commitments week after week the resounding reason he provided for not spending this time each day is that he was just “too busy” and felt that spending time with God each day would take away from the growth of his business. Not realizing what I was saying I was led to ask “Can you then show me on a spreadsheet how spending time with God each day for 15 or 30 minutes would directly decrease the profits of your business?” He responded “so do you mean how can I measure my return on investment for the time I spend with God?” I hadn’t thought of it that way yet but this started a great conversation of how we should focus on investing our time and gifts in eternity and not for worldly reward but even more so it really made...
by MIMADMIN | May 8, 2015 | Testimonies
“For I was hungry, and you gave Me something to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave Me to drink; I was a stranger, and you invited Me; I was in prison, and you came to Me.” Matthew 25:35,36 NASB For lack of a better phrase, the Church on the Street (CotS) Discipleship Program is a Christian boot-camp. Men and women from all different walks of life have completed this program. Mostly, however, applicants come from two primary pools, the homeless and recently released prisoners. The program is for the man who has realized his life needs an overhaul and is willing to put himself under strict authority to do it. JAIL AND PRISON SERVICES Every week, CotS staff and volunteers organize and perform more than forty worship services inside the jails and prisons of Arizona. At these events, prisoners hear the Gospel of Christ, and often hear it from those who have been through prison themselves. These services give hope in a place where, usually, hope is lost. Many receive God’s free gift here, an eternity assured from within the darkest of earthly places. (I have had the privilege of speaking at one of these services.) NEIGHBORHOOD SERVICES More than thirty-five CotS neighborhood outreaches occur each week. Here staff, volunteers and program disciples participate in feeding, clothing and witnessing to those who attend. At each event, the speaker will invite the attendees to invite Jesus into their lives. Those who express an interest are told about the Discipleship Program. The journey often begins with a two week stay at the CotS Homeless Shelter. The application and interview processes then occur....
by MIMADMIN | May 8, 2015 | Testimonies
Heb 11:32 “And what more shall I say? For time will fail me if I tell of Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, of David and Samuel and the prophets” Why in the world is Gideon listed in Hebrews Chapter 11, affectionately known as the Hall of Faith? That was my question as I approached the story of Gideon, told in Judges Chapters 6-8. He seemed like an average Joe whom God used to accomplish extraordinary events in history. God’s greatness was clearly demonstrated but I could not grasp what it was that made Gideon great. Then it was revealed to me. What made Gideon great is simple; he acted on the promises that God gave him. Six times God assures Gideon through promises (Judges 6:14, 16, 23; 7:7, 9, 14). Once Gideon understood what God was telling him, he never looked back. I love Gideon’s reaction the moment when it all made sense him. It was after the sixth and final promise- “It came about that when Gideon heard the account of the dream and its interpretation that he bowed in worship” (Judges 7:15) Like Gideon, my family was tested in 2009 in the area of finances. I was a commission-only sales representative for an industry that was hit hard by the economy. Each month the paychecks got smaller and our savings evaporated. Then in August we ran out of money and all we had left was money from a 401K. Knowing that we needed a miracle to pay our mortgage, I went to my wife with the promise of God from Matthew 6:31-33: Do not worry then, saying, ‘What will we eat?’ or ‘What will we drink?’ or ‘What will we...
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