We commissioned our new church leaders [Sunday, June 1, 2008] and I used the words of 1 Thessalonians 5:12-28. Some of the observations and applications I made were: Paul writes this letter to a part of Jesus’ missionary team in Thessalonica, a new community of Jesus followers facing great persecution yet standing firm. He urges them to respect their…
speaking of church… NOT!
Here is another word game. See if you can go a whole week without using the word “church”. You can use words that mean the same thing, just try not using the word itself. I was thinking about this when I was looking at how Jesus spoke about the church. He only used the word…
12 reasons for “Jesus follower”
John Smulo gives his reasons why he prefers the term “Jesus follower”. — Norm Here are some of the reasons why I normally refer to myself as a ‘Jesus-follower’. It centers on Jesus. It implies action. It raises questions rather than answers. It encourages further understanding and exploration. It points others to Someone beyond myself…
11 reasons against “christian”
John Smulo gives his reasons why he does not like the term “christian”. — Norm Words have meaning because we give them meaning. Sometimes particular words lose meaning. Other times they take on new meanings that are loaded. “Christian” is a word that has several meanings depending on the context in which it is used,…
all about Jesus
“We have come to see that it is all about Jesus and not just a methodology. It is not about mission, not about church, but its about Jesus and his glory, his life. To know Jesus is not an event, a ritual, a creed, or a religion. It is a journey of trust and adventure….
missional home buying
As we’ve just been through the home-buying process, I found this article very interesting. It made me consider even more how we need to look with the eyes of Jesus wherever we live. — Norm Ten ways to engage mission in the suburbs By David Fitch [Tuesday, May 20, 2008] As we have been looking…
asleep in the light?
Check out he following video clip from YouTube based on the song “Asleep In The Light” by Keith Green. It is a very convicting song, and some of the images are very appropriate. Printed below the video are the lyrics for further reflection. How can you be so dead when you’ve been so well fed…
more people following Jesus
I’ve been checking out the web, and discovering that more people are looking into the idea of “following Jesus”, or being a “Jesusfollower”. Here is a sampling: followingJesus.org allaboutfollowingJesus.org followingjesuschrist.co.uk following-jesus.com jesusfollower.typepad.com christfollower.net truechristfollower.com (and I thought my title was pretentious) christfollowers.blogspot.com I’d better stop. I make no claim that any of these are any…
why do I need SOAP?
For me, life without SOAP stinks, in more ways than one. Beyond the customary shower every morning, I always need to be washed in the Voice of the Lord. The Bible is a place where I meet with God, and I hear His Voice. Not ‘hear’ in the audible sense, but receiving a message from…
this is a test!
OK, this is not that big of a test… but it is a test. We may not get the house we were hoping to get, afterall. There’s a second offer going in with ours, through the listing agent. In the few days since we decided to go for this house, we’ve become somewhat attached to…