See I’m not mad, even Tim Keller is teaching living beyond the walls of the christian-dome.

(HT Random Brandon)

(HT Random Brandon)

This is a recent article by Blake Coffee from churchwhisperer.com, all I can add is that this is an excellent reflection for all of us.

Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everybody. If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. Romans 12:17-18

The Principle of Perceptions: I have responsibility for how others perceive me.

I consulted with a traditional, small town First Baptist Church who was in severe conflict. There was a variety of issues, but the primary problem was broken relationships. So we spent some time addressing those relationships. One of the personalities involved was a young, dynamic high school teacher who had a fantastic presence with the teenagers. He truly loved the Lord and brought teenagers to the Lord (and to the church) by the busloads. Literally hundreds of them. He was a bit eccentric, which is why the teenagers were so attracted to him. He shaved his head, wore old blue jeans and a “Jesus Freak” tee-shirt to church, even on more…

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But don’t begin until you count the cost, Luke 14:28
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There is more…….. here more…

Why do so many Christians fall deep into temptation?

We need to put our faith and trust in Him regardless of how well or poor we are doing. It is in our darkest moments that we are weakest. Yet in those same times if we honestly have put our trust in Him (no lip service), God is at His greatest. Not only is God at His greatest to influence our choices, but it also allows Him to be revealed to the world through us.

The Reality…
It is in these weak moments that we reveal to ourselves the true condition of our faith. In other words, what we see in the mirror in these times is not what we desire to see.

He is true to His word, but you will never know this if you do not trust Him. And if you do not have that trust do you really ABIDE in Him. Thank God for His grace.

Hmmm…
…just a late night thought after a recent conversation…

“You don’t have enough faith,” Jesus told them. “I tell you the truth, if you had faith even as small as a mustard seed, you could say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it would move. Nothing would be impossible. ” Matthew 17:20

“God will not hold us responsible to understand the mysteries of election, predestination and the divine sovereignty. The best and safest way to deal with these truths is to raise our eyes to God and in deepest reverence say, ‘Oh Lord Thou knowest.’ Those things belong to the deep and mysterious Profound of God’s omniscience. Prying into them may make theologians, but it will never make saints.”

The Pursuit of God by A. W. Tozer

Who is responsible for church growth? Is it the Pastor, the congregation, God or the cleaver (no error) marketing company? Is church growth relevant to the amount of advertising money invested? Or is church growth all together something else?

We commonly put the cart before the horse. To even begin to answer such questions we must first clearly define (how many definitions are there?) what church growth is and is not.

Hmmmm