Category: general discussions

The “Connecting Group” experiment is finished, and it went very well. Based on the Alpha model we gathered every Tuesday night for an excellent meal, good jokes and table fellowship, a video teaching time and discussions around the table. Although the ultimate goal for these “Connecting Groups” are for those exploring the message of Jesus, we…

A good friend is a regular reader of my daily meditations, and she observed that 9 times out of 10, I am down on myself or highlighting an area of weakness in my relationship to God – especially in the prayer. She sometimes wondered whether I was on the edge of depression, or struggling with…

Even though we may get frustrated with some (or all) of the foibles and failings of our local church, here is a good reminder that it might be “just what the Doctor ordered!” For all of its foibles—lousy preaching, political infighting, self-centered focus, stagnation, a gaggle of special interest groups—the pokey local church…is still the…

Not sure if you saw this yet, or realized it was different. The changes are small, but significant.

So here I am, thinking about a whacky idea (or is it???), and I figure that I should get some feedback from you. Here is the idea: what if church membership had to be renewed every year? I grew up in a tradition that tied church membership to salvation. You did not just commit yourself…

This is funny, in a sad kind of way. My guess is that he’s not the BEST man anymore…

I found this great discussion at internetmonk.com. There is some great feedback in the comments that follow. How can families with young children have a continuing participation in church life? Is it impossible? Should they worship as a family? Should one parent go with older children? How can churches make this time more manageable for…

How to celebrate Christmas differently!

I started reading John Ortberg’s God Is Closer Than You Think, and already the first chapter is resonating with my heart. He describes how God’s Great Desire is to be in relationship with us. He uses the painting of Michelangelo where God is reaching out to Adam (The Creation of Man, Sistine Chapel). He then…

What does Matthew 7:6 mean:“Don’t waste what is holy on people who are unholy. Don’t throw your pearls to pigs! They will trample the pearls, then turn and attack you”?