tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-86577722024-03-13T15:08:25.309-05:00Because I said soChris Meirosehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05717903860701408008noreply@blogger.comBlogger1472125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8657772.post-61274392871174296372019-03-14T09:12:00.003-05:002019-03-14T09:15:26.051-05:00Creation is Much More! - Great post by Scot McKnight<a href="https://www.patheos.com/blogs/jesuscreed/2019/03/14/creation-is-much-more-rjs/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Scot McKnight shared the following on his blog today. </a> It is so good I'm copying it here so I can find it again. Click through and read it there if you would.<br />
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Quite a number of years ago David Wilkerson published an excellent article in Christianity Today: <em style="box-sizing: border-box;"><strong style="box-sizing: border-box;"><a class="decorated-link" href="http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2013/march/bigger-than-we-think.html?paging=off" style="background-color: transparent; border-bottom: 2px solid rgba(247, 67, 79, 0.4); box-sizing: border-box; color: black; text-decoration-line: none; transition: all 0.4s ease-in-out 0s;">Bigger Than We Think</a>.</strong></em> The archived article is only available with a subscription, but we can consider the major points here. The Christian doctrine of creation goes far deeper that just explaining how the world began. It goes far deeper than explaining the origin of life or the origin of the diversity of life. <a class="decorated-link" href="http://www.dur.ac.uk/theology.religion/staff/?id=2006" style="background-color: transparent; border-bottom: 2px solid rgba(247, 67, 79, 0.4); box-sizing: border-box; color: black; font-weight: 700; text-decoration-line: none; transition: all 0.4s ease-in-out 0s;">David Wilkinson</a> received a PhD in Theoretical Astrophysics from the University of Durham and a PhD in Systematic Theology from Cambridge University where he explored Christian eschatology.</div>
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From the CT article:</div>
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The Christian doctrine of Creation has often been hijacked by controversies over how old the universe is. It has been hollowed out by the theory that God simply ignites the universe and then goes off for a cup of coffee, never touching his masterwork again. It is interesting that attacks on belief in a Creator, whether from Hawking, Richard Dawkins’s <em style="box-sizing: border-box;">The God Delusion</em>, or Lawrence M. Krauss’s recent <em style="box-sizing: border-box;">A Universe from Nothing</em>, tend to target this diminished deity. But the Bible has a much bigger understanding of God as Creator. Not only does the doctrine of Creation feature in Scripture beyond just Genesis 1, God’s creative activity permeates every moment of the history of the universe.</div>
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Scientific explanations can only go so far. To address the big questions we have to go deeper into the transcendent meaning of the facts. In this clip from <em style="box-sizing: border-box;"><strong style="box-sizing: border-box;"><a class="decorated-link" href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1608998975/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=1608998975&linkCode=as2&tag=musionscieand-20" style="background-color: transparent; border-bottom: 2px solid rgba(247, 67, 79, 0.4); box-sizing: border-box; color: black; text-decoration-line: none; transition: all 0.4s ease-in-out 0s;">Test of Faith</a></strong></em> (an excellent resource by the way) Wilkerson goes to George Lucas and Star Wars and to the scientific description of a kiss to explain what he means.</div>
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At 2:04 in the video:</div>
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What is the scientific definition of a kiss? Well a kiss is the approach of two pairs of lips, the reciprocal transmission of carbon dioxide and microbes, and the juxtaposition of two orbicular muscles in a state of contraction. That is a kiss in scientific terms. But if I go to my wife and say to her, “Allison, I’d love to get together with you for a mutual transmission of carbon dioxide and microbes” she would say “Get lost.”</div>
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In this next clip he takes this transcendent meaning back into the interpretation of Genesis.</div>
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In the <em style="box-sizing: border-box;">Christianity Today</em> article Wilkinson makes five points – good for a five point sermon on creation perhaps. I will summarize and add a few of my own comments.</div>
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<em style="box-sizing: border-box;"><strong style="box-sizing: border-box;">First:</strong> the Christian doctrine of Creation is never an abstract, academic concept</em>.</div>
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Genesis isn’t a scientific account of the origin of the world. It is an account of God shaping the world, in relationship, for his purpose. Wilkinson points to other creation narratives in scripture as well to make his point. Proverbs 8:22-36; Psalms. 8, 19, and 148; Job 38-42; Isa. 40:9-31.</div>
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<em style="box-sizing: border-box;"><strong style="box-sizing: border-box;">Second:</strong></em> <em style="box-sizing: border-box;">the Christian doctrine of Creation has Christ at the center</em>.</div>
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Our doctrine of Creation must have a key place for Jesus. The incarnation is not plan B and “<em style="box-sizing: border-box;">it will not suffice to look for gaps in the scientific account into which God can be squeezed.</em>” A few key passages:</div>
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In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. … The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth. (John 1:1-5,14)</div>
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The Son is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For in him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through him and for him. He is before all things, and in him all things hold together. (Col. 1:15-17)</div>
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<em style="box-sizing: border-box;"><strong style="box-sizing: border-box;">Third:</strong> the Christian doctrine of Creation affirms that God is the sole creator of the universe</em>.</div>
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He is also the sole sustainer of creation, and here we have Christ as well – for in him all things hold together. The Genesis narrative affirms God as sole creator and undermines the creative powers in all of the competing stories in ancient Near Eastern culture.</div>
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<em style="box-sizing: border-box;"><strong style="box-sizing: border-box;">Fourth:</strong></em> <em style="box-sizing: border-box;">the Christian doctrine of Creation needs to be seen in light of the reality of new creation</em>.</div>
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Wilkinson emphasizes that the creator is also redeemer. Creation is good, or why would God redeem it? “<em style="box-sizing: border-box;">And if creation has been redeemed, then we can look forward to a new creation, the “new heaven and new earth” described in Revelation 21.</em>” I think we should go a little further than Wilkinson and flip our perspective. As Daniel Harrell points out in his excellent book <em style="box-sizing: border-box;"><strong style="box-sizing: border-box;"><a class="decorated-link" href="https://www.amazon.com/Natures-Witness-Evolution-Inspire-Theology-ebook/dp/B003WUYEKC/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&linkCode=ll1&tag=musionscieand-20&linkId=ffc0e982f655dcb9b54aa846879ce98b&language=en_US" style="background-color: transparent; border-bottom: 2px solid rgba(247, 67, 79, 0.4); box-sizing: border-box; color: black; text-decoration-line: none; transition: all 0.4s ease-in-out 0s;">Nature’s Witness</a></strong></em>, the whole biblical narrative, including the creation narrative, is best viewed from the perspective of Revelation. Being drawn toward the future rather than wandering along from the past, God’s plan takes shape.</div>
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<em style="box-sizing: border-box;"><strong style="box-sizing: border-box;">Fifth:</strong></em> <em style="box-sizing: border-box;">the Christian doctrine of Creation shows that humanity has the capacity for an intimate relationship with God</em>.</div>
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Wilkinson suggests that “<em style="box-sizing: border-box;">[b]earing God’s image is about <span style="box-sizing: border-box; text-decoration-line: underline;">relationship</span> with God more than any specific human attribute or pattern of behavior.</em>” The Trinitarian picture of God as love puts the focus on relationship.</div>
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And I will wrap up with Wilkinson’s summary:</div>
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In the Christian doctrine of Creation, we thus find a common theme. The meaning of the universe is not to be found in an impersonal cosmic force, or in a mathematical theory, or in a philosophical abstraction. Instead, it is found in a personal God who wants relationships with human beings. To be human is to receive the gift of relationship, to love and be loved by the God who created you.</div>
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The doctrine of Creation is far deeper than science, and far more important.</div>
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<em style="box-sizing: border-box;"><strong style="box-sizing: border-box;">What do you think?</strong></em></div>
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If you wish to contact me directly you may do so at rjs4mail[at]att.net</div>
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If interested you can subscribe to a full text feed of my posts at <a class="decorated-link" href="http://musingsonscience.wordpress.com/" style="background-color: transparent; border-bottom: 2px solid rgba(247, 67, 79, 0.4); box-sizing: border-box; color: black; font-weight: 700; text-decoration-line: none; transition: all 0.4s ease-in-out 0s;">Musings on Science and Theology</a>.</div>
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This is a slightly edited re-post on an ever timely topic.</div>
Chris Meirosehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05717903860701408008noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8657772.post-39640284856549971302019-01-20T01:49:00.002-06:002019-01-20T01:49:56.301-06:00Ahh...my poor neglected blog...Life is busy, God is good, and I love my wife and son. I'm far more frequent in activity over on Facebook if you want to look me up and follow me there you'll likely get more out of it. Maybe someday I'll get back to blogging here. I did enjoy it.Chris Meirosehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05717903860701408008noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8657772.post-32696123740742330822017-10-20T11:27:00.002-05:002017-10-20T11:27:49.160-05:00Trolling, Truth, or both? How 'LBGT-Affirming' is like KJV-onlyism<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnjFXwI-pVotrYw4uh93Vf_ffcwbfOu_tBBrt8XjMgnatEKILRBF1k9OvpzRcpXS4MqCBfME56Iv_R4J0doKywO7Dr03cFBStG3-yt8PnW54Hpii0mZ678d0SLjEapwrjxlF8Y/s1600/lgbt-bible.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="467" data-original-width="700" height="425" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnjFXwI-pVotrYw4uh93Vf_ffcwbfOu_tBBrt8XjMgnatEKILRBF1k9OvpzRcpXS4MqCBfME56Iv_R4J0doKywO7Dr03cFBStG3-yt8PnW54Hpii0mZ678d0SLjEapwrjxlF8Y/s640/lgbt-bible.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Provocative post today by Joe Carter on The Gospel Coalition blog titled "<a href="https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/article/how-lbgt-affirming-is-like-king-james-onlyism" target="_blank">How ‘LBGT-Affirming’ Is Like KJV-Onlyism</a>".<br />
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He makes some interesting arguments and comparisons.<br />
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What do you think?Chris Meirosehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05717903860701408008noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8657772.post-59234313059048239192017-10-16T10:28:00.001-05:002017-10-16T10:28:17.284-05:00BiblicalTraining.org resource site<a href="http://biblicaltraining.org/">Biblicaltraining.org</a> has put together some really good courses that they offer for FREE! There's even an <a href="https://www.biblicaltraining.org/access/androidapp" target="_blank">Android App</a> to go along with it. Additionally, your church can create their own landing page (for a cost) and deliver teaching content through this site.Chris Meirosehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05717903860701408008noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8657772.post-37742005552825858702017-10-14T22:44:00.003-05:002017-10-14T22:46:32.674-05:00Things to pray for your church<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Good stuff from <a href="https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/article/18-things-to-pray-for-your-church" target="_blank">The Gospel Coalition</a>.<br />
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<b>What to Pray For</b><br /><br />1. That we would have unity amid diversity—loving those with whom we have nothing in common but the gospel. <br /><br />2. That a culture of discipling would form in which making disciples is viewed as an ordinary part of the Christian life.<br /><br />3. That faithful elders would use Scripture to train members to do the work of ministry.<br /><br />4. That a hunger for studying the gospel would form among members so that they can guide and guard one another in it.<br /><br />5. That transparent, meaningful relationships would become normal and remaining anonymous strange.<br /><br />6. The preaching of God’s Word—that it would be biblically careful and Holy Spirit imbued.<br /><br />7. That elders would remain above reproach, kept from temptation, complacency, idols, and worldliness.<br /><br />8. That the church’s songs would teach members to biblically confess, lament, and praise.<br /><br />9. That the church’s prayers would be infused with biblical ambitions, honesty, and humility. <br /><br />10. That adult members would work to disciple teenagers and not just leave it to programming. <br /><br />11. That the church’s primary teachers grow in dedication to God’s Word even when no one’s watching. <br /><br />12. That it would grow in being distinct from the world in love and holiness, even as it engages outsiders.<br /><br />13. That members would share the gospel this week—and see more conversions!<br /><br />14. That members would be prepared for persecution, remembering to love, not curse, their persecutors.<br /><br />15. That hopes for political change would be outstretched by the hope of heaven.<br /><br />16. That giving would be faithul, as well as joyful, consistent, and sacrificial. <br /><br />17. That more members would use their careers to take the gospel to places it’s never been.<br /><br />18. That members would be good and do good in their workplaces this week.Chris Meirosehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05717903860701408008noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8657772.post-85519472641579181712017-08-17T12:11:00.003-05:002017-08-17T12:11:56.413-05:00I haven't forgotten about my blogJust been a busy time of life and ministry, and I tend to post stuff on Facebook 99% of the time. Even my Twitter has become fairly lightly used for posting things.<br />
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Does anyone still read blogs? I think what curtailed reading of blogs was the death of a number of great RSS feed readers. Combine that with the continued surge of social media growth and blogs like this were sure to see less traffic.<br />
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Maybe I'll work on adding some content here again for a while and see if anyone responds. Maybe.Chris Meirosehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05717903860701408008noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8657772.post-29766756672403063552016-01-22T20:05:00.003-06:002016-01-22T20:05:52.109-06:00Home Made Hot Cocoa Mix<div>
Alton Brown is a food savant. So his hot cocoa mix shouldn't be any different!</div>
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<a href="http://altonbrown.com/hot-cocoa-mix-recipe/"><span style="font-size: large;">Hot Cocoa Mix</span></a></div>
<br /><b>Ingredients</b><br />2 cups confectioners' sugar<br />1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder, preferably Dutch process<br />2 1/2 cups nonfat dry milk powder<br />1 teaspoon fine-grain salt<br />2 teaspoons cornstarch<br />1 pinch (or more to taste) ground cayenne pepper*, optional<br />Hot milk or water to serve<br /><br /><div>
<b>Instructions</b><br />1 - Combine the confectioners' sugar, cocoa powder, milk powder, salt, cornstarch and cayenne in a large airtight container. Secure the lid and shake vigorously to combine, and remember to shake prior to every extraction.<br />2 - To serve: Place 2 tablespoons of the mix in a mug and add about 2 fluid ounces hot water or milk. Stir to combine. Fill the mug with more hot water or milk and enjoy.</div>
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<br /><b>Notes</b><br />* The Aztecs always added chiles to their chocolate. Even a pinch ups the flavor ante quite a bit, and as called for here certainly won't be sensed as "heat."</div>
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<br />No matter — this is fast, easy and will keep for a year if kept in an airtight container in a cool place.</div>
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<br />alton brown http://altonbrown.com/<br /><br /><br /><br /></div>
Chris Meirosehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05717903860701408008noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8657772.post-18776487602678391892015-11-09T17:03:00.002-06:002016-03-02T16:34:10.571-06:00Reading List<span style="background-color: white;"><strong style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;">Pastor's Favorites </strong><br style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;" /><a data-cke-saved-href="http://wasecachurch.blogspot.com/2011/04/tips-on-how-to-read-your-bible.html" href="http://wasecachurch.blogspot.com/2011/04/tips-on-how-to-read-your-bible.html" style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px; text-decoration: none; transition: all 0.2s ease-in-out;">Tips for reading your Bible. </a><br style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;" /><a data-cke-saved-href="http://www.amazon.com/Study-Bible-TruTone-Forest-Design/dp/143350393X?ie=UTF8&tag=becisaiso-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" href="http://www.amazon.com/Study-Bible-TruTone-Forest-Design/dp/143350393X?ie=UTF8&tag=becisaiso-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px; text-decoration: none; transition: all 0.2s ease-in-out;" target="_blank">ESV Study Bible </a><span style="font-family: "raleway" , sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;">(though we do use a mix in church currently) </span><br style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;" /><a data-cke-saved-href="http://www.amazon.com/Am-Church-Member-Discovering-Difference-ebook/dp/B00C7T33ZQ/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&sr=8-1&qid=1432213659" href="http://www.amazon.com/Am-Church-Member-Discovering-Difference-ebook/dp/B00C7T33ZQ/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&sr=8-1&qid=1432213659" style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px; text-decoration: none; transition: all 0.2s ease-in-out;" target="_blank">Why I Am a Church Member</a><span style="font-family: "raleway" , sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;"> | Thom Rainer</span><br style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;" /><a data-cke-saved-href="http://www.amazon.com/Crazy-Love-Overwhelmed-Relentless-God/dp/1434768511?ie=UTF8&tag=becisaiso-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" href="http://www.amazon.com/Crazy-Love-Overwhelmed-Relentless-God/dp/1434768511?ie=UTF8&tag=becisaiso-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px; text-decoration: none; transition: all 0.2s ease-in-out;" target="_blank">Crazy Love</a><span style="font-family: "raleway" , sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;"> | Francis Chan</span><br style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;" /><a data-cke-saved-href="http://www.amazon.com/Forgotten-God-Reversing-Tragic-Neglect/dp/1434767957?ie=UTF8&tag=becisaiso-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" href="http://www.amazon.com/Forgotten-God-Reversing-Tragic-Neglect/dp/1434767957?ie=UTF8&tag=becisaiso-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px; text-decoration: none; transition: all 0.2s ease-in-out;" target="_blank">Forgotten God</a><span style="font-family: "raleway" , sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;"> | Francis Chan</span><br style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;" /><a data-cke-saved-href="http://www.amazon.com/Too-Busy-Not-Pray-Slowing/dp/0830834753?ie=UTF8&tag=becisaiso-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" href="http://www.amazon.com/Too-Busy-Not-Pray-Slowing/dp/0830834753?ie=UTF8&tag=becisaiso-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px; text-decoration: none; transition: all 0.2s ease-in-out;" target="_blank">Too Busy Not to Pray</a><span style="font-family: "raleway" , sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;"> | Bill Hybels</span><br style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;" /><a data-cke-saved-href="http://www.amazon.com/Peacemaker-Biblical-Resolving-Personal-Conflict/dp/0801064856?ie=UTF8&tag=becisaiso-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" href="http://www.amazon.com/Peacemaker-Biblical-Resolving-Personal-Conflict/dp/0801064856?ie=UTF8&tag=becisaiso-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px; text-decoration: none; transition: all 0.2s ease-in-out;" target="_blank">The Peacemaker</a><span style="font-family: "raleway" , sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;"> | Ken Sande</span><br style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;" /><a data-cke-saved-href="http://www.amazon.com/Divine-Mentor-Growing-Faith-Savior/dp/076420579X?ie=UTF8&tag=becisaiso-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" href="http://www.amazon.com/Divine-Mentor-Growing-Faith-Savior/dp/076420579X?ie=UTF8&tag=becisaiso-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px; text-decoration: none; transition: all 0.2s ease-in-out;" target="_blank">The Divine Mentor</a><span style="font-family: "raleway" , sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;"> | Wayne Cordeiro</span><br style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;" /><a data-cke-saved-href="http://www.amazon.com/Simple-Church-Returning-Process-Disciples/dp/0805443908?ie=UTF8&tag=becisaiso-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" href="http://www.amazon.com/Simple-Church-Returning-Process-Disciples/dp/0805443908?ie=UTF8&tag=becisaiso-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px; text-decoration: none; transition: all 0.2s ease-in-out;" target="_blank">Simple Church</a><span style="font-family: "raleway" , sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;"> | Thom Rainer</span><br style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;" /><a data-cke-saved-href="http://www.amazon.com/Desiring-God-Meditations-Christian-Hedonist/dp/1590521196?ie=UTF8&tag=becisaiso-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" href="http://www.amazon.com/Desiring-God-Meditations-Christian-Hedonist/dp/1590521196?ie=UTF8&tag=becisaiso-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px; text-decoration: none; transition: all 0.2s ease-in-out;" target="_blank">Desiring God</a><span style="font-family: "raleway" , sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;"> | John Piper</span><br style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;" /><a data-cke-saved-href="http://www.amazon.com/Love-Dare-Stephen-Kendrick/dp/0805448853?ie=UTF8&tag=becisaiso-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" href="http://www.amazon.com/Love-Dare-Stephen-Kendrick/dp/0805448853?ie=UTF8&tag=becisaiso-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px; text-decoration: none; transition: all 0.2s ease-in-out;" target="_blank">The Love Dare</a><span style="font-family: "raleway" , sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;"> | Stephen & Alex Kendrick</span><br style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;" /><a data-cke-saved-href="http://www.amazon.com/Want-Walk-Water-Youve-Boat/dp/0310228638?ie=UTF8&tag=becisaiso-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" href="http://www.amazon.com/Want-Walk-Water-Youve-Boat/dp/0310228638?ie=UTF8&tag=becisaiso-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px; text-decoration: none; transition: all 0.2s ease-in-out;" target="_blank">If You Want to Walk On Water, You've Got to Get Out of the Boat</a><span style="font-family: "raleway" , sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;"> | John Ortberg</span><br style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;" /><a data-cke-saved-href="http://www.amazon.com/Reason-God-Belief-Age-Skepticism/dp/1594483493?ie=UTF8&tag=becisaiso-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" href="http://www.amazon.com/Reason-God-Belief-Age-Skepticism/dp/1594483493?ie=UTF8&tag=becisaiso-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px; text-decoration: none; transition: all 0.2s ease-in-out;" target="_blank">The Reason For God</a><span style="font-family: "raleway" , sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;"> | Tim Keller</span><br style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;" /><a data-cke-saved-href="http://www.amazon.com/Treasure-Principle-Unlocking-Secret-LifeChange/dp/1590525086?ie=UTF8&tag=becisaiso-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" href="http://www.amazon.com/Treasure-Principle-Unlocking-Secret-LifeChange/dp/1590525086?ie=UTF8&tag=becisaiso-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px; text-decoration: none; transition: all 0.2s ease-in-out;" target="_blank">The Treasure Principle</a><span style="font-family: "raleway" , sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;"> | Randy Alcorn</span><br style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;" /><a data-cke-saved-href="http://www.amazon.com/Scandalous-Cross-Resurrection-Jesus-Lit/dp/1433511258?ie=UTF8&tag=becisaiso-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" href="http://www.amazon.com/Scandalous-Cross-Resurrection-Jesus-Lit/dp/1433511258?ie=UTF8&tag=becisaiso-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px; text-decoration: none; transition: all 0.2s ease-in-out;" target="_blank">Scandalous: The Cross and Resurrection of Jesus</a><span style="font-family: "raleway" , sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;"> | D.A. Carson</span><br style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;" /><br style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;" /><strong style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;">Introductory Reading</strong><br style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;" /><a data-cke-saved-href="http://www.amazon.com/Christian-Beliefs-Twenty-Basics-Should/dp/0310255996?ie=UTF8&tag=becisaiso-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" href="http://www.amazon.com/Christian-Beliefs-Twenty-Basics-Should/dp/0310255996?ie=UTF8&tag=becisaiso-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px; text-decoration: none; transition: all 0.2s ease-in-out;" target="_blank">Christian Beliefs</a><span style="font-family: "raleway" , sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;"> | Wayne Grudem</span><br style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;" /><a data-cke-saved-href="http://www.amazon.com/Gods-Big-Picture-Tracing-Story-Line/dp/0830853642?ie=UTF8&tag=becisaiso-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" href="http://www.amazon.com/Gods-Big-Picture-Tracing-Story-Line/dp/0830853642?ie=UTF8&tag=becisaiso-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px; text-decoration: none; transition: all 0.2s ease-in-out;" target="_blank">God's Big Picture</a><span style="font-family: "raleway" , sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;"> | Vaughan Roberts</span><br style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;" /><br style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;" /><strong style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;">Intermediate Reading</strong><br style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;" /><a data-cke-saved-href="http://www.amazon.com/Attributes-God-Arthur-W-Pink/dp/1604596724?ie=UTF8&tag=becisaiso-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" href="http://www.amazon.com/Attributes-God-Arthur-W-Pink/dp/1604596724?ie=UTF8&tag=becisaiso-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px; text-decoration: none; transition: all 0.2s ease-in-out;" target="_blank">Attributes of God</a><span style="font-family: "raleway" , sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;"> | Arthur Pink</span><br style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;" /><a data-cke-saved-href="http://www.amazon.com/Church-History-Plain-Language-3rd/dp/0718025539?ie=UTF8&tag=becisaiso-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" href="http://www.amazon.com/Church-History-Plain-Language-3rd/dp/0718025539?ie=UTF8&tag=becisaiso-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px; text-decoration: none; transition: all 0.2s ease-in-out;" target="_blank">Church History in Plain Language</a><span style="font-family: "raleway" , sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;"> | Bruce Shelly</span><br style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;" /><a data-cke-saved-href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/031023848X?ie=UTF8&tag=becisaiso-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=031023848X" href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/031023848X?ie=UTF8&tag=becisaiso-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=031023848X" style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px; text-decoration: none; transition: all 0.2s ease-in-out;">Conformed to His Image</a><span style="font-family: "raleway" , sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;"> | Ken Boa </span><br style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;" /><a data-cke-saved-href="http://www.amazon.com/Desiring-God-Meditations-Christian-Hedonist/dp/1590521196?ie=UTF8&tag=becisaiso-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" href="http://www.amazon.com/Desiring-God-Meditations-Christian-Hedonist/dp/1590521196?ie=UTF8&tag=becisaiso-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px; text-decoration: none; transition: all 0.2s ease-in-out;" target="_blank">Desiring God</a><span style="font-family: "raleway" , sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;"> | John Piper</span><br style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;" /><a data-cke-saved-href="http://www.amazon.com/Finally-Alive-John-Piper/dp/1845504216?ie=UTF8&tag=becisaiso-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" href="http://www.amazon.com/Finally-Alive-John-Piper/dp/1845504216?ie=UTF8&tag=becisaiso-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px; text-decoration: none; transition: all 0.2s ease-in-out;" target="_blank">Finally Alive</a><span style="font-family: "raleway" , sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;"> | John Piper</span><br style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;" /><a data-cke-saved-href="http://www.amazon.com/Historical-Theology-Introduction-History-Christian/dp/0631208445?ie=UTF8&tag=becisaiso-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" href="http://www.amazon.com/Historical-Theology-Introduction-History-Christian/dp/0631208445?ie=UTF8&tag=becisaiso-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px; text-decoration: none; transition: all 0.2s ease-in-out;" target="_blank">Historical Theology</a><span style="font-family: "raleway" , sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;"> | Alister E. McGrath</span><br style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;" /><a data-cke-saved-href="http://www.amazon.com/Holiness-God-R-C-Sproul/dp/0842339655?ie=UTF8&tag=becisaiso-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" href="http://www.amazon.com/Holiness-God-R-C-Sproul/dp/0842339655?ie=UTF8&tag=becisaiso-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px; text-decoration: none; transition: all 0.2s ease-in-out;" target="_blank">Holiness of God</a><span style="font-family: "raleway" , sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;"> | R. C. Sproul</span><br style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;" /><a data-cke-saved-href="http://www.amazon.com/How-People-Change-Timothy-Lane/dp/1934885533?ie=UTF8&tag=becisaiso-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" href="http://www.amazon.com/How-People-Change-Timothy-Lane/dp/1934885533?ie=UTF8&tag=becisaiso-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px; text-decoration: none; transition: all 0.2s ease-in-out;" target="_blank">How People Change</a><span style="font-family: "raleway" , sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;"> | Timothy Lane & Paul Tripp</span><br style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;" /><a data-cke-saved-href="http://www.amazon.com/Christ-Alone-Living-Gospel-Centered/dp/1567690890?ie=UTF8&tag=becisaiso-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" href="http://www.amazon.com/Christ-Alone-Living-Gospel-Centered/dp/1567690890?ie=UTF8&tag=becisaiso-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px; text-decoration: none; transition: all 0.2s ease-in-out;" target="_blank">In Christ Alone</a><span style="font-family: "raleway" , sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;"> | Sinclair Ferguson</span><br style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;" /><a data-cke-saved-href="http://www.amazon.com/Just-Do-Something-Decision-Without/dp/0802458386?ie=UTF8&tag=becisaiso-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" href="http://www.amazon.com/Just-Do-Something-Decision-Without/dp/0802458386?ie=UTF8&tag=becisaiso-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px; text-decoration: none; transition: all 0.2s ease-in-out;" target="_blank">Just Do Something</a><span style="font-family: "raleway" , sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;"> | Kevin DeYoung</span><br style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;" /><a data-cke-saved-href="http://www.amazon.com/Knowing-God-ByJ-L-Packer/dp/B003BH1828?ie=UTF8&tag=becisaiso-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" href="http://www.amazon.com/Knowing-God-ByJ-L-Packer/dp/B003BH1828?ie=UTF8&tag=becisaiso-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px; text-decoration: none; transition: all 0.2s ease-in-out;" target="_blank">Knowing God</a><span style="font-family: "raleway" , sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;"> | J. I. Packer</span><br style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;" /><a data-cke-saved-href="http://www.amazon.com/Knowing-Scripture-EasyRead-Super-Large/dp/1442996625?ie=UTF8&tag=becisaiso-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" href="http://www.amazon.com/Knowing-Scripture-EasyRead-Super-Large/dp/1442996625?ie=UTF8&tag=becisaiso-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px; text-decoration: none; transition: all 0.2s ease-in-out;" target="_blank">Knowing Scripture</a><span style="font-family: "raleway" , sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;"> | R. C. Sproul</span><br style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;" /><a data-cke-saved-href="http://www.amazon.com/Living-Cross-Centered-Life-Keeping/dp/1590525787?ie=UTF8&tag=becisaiso-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" href="http://www.amazon.com/Living-Cross-Centered-Life-Keeping/dp/1590525787?ie=UTF8&tag=becisaiso-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px; text-decoration: none; transition: all 0.2s ease-in-out;" target="_blank">Living the Cross Centered Life</a><span style="font-family: "raleway" , sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;"> | C. J. Mahaney</span><br style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;" /><a data-cke-saved-href="http://www.amazon.com/Prayer-Knowledge-God-Whole-Teaches/dp/0830853669?ie=UTF8&tag=becisaiso-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" href="http://www.amazon.com/Prayer-Knowledge-God-Whole-Teaches/dp/0830853669?ie=UTF8&tag=becisaiso-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px; text-decoration: none; transition: all 0.2s ease-in-out;" target="_blank">Prayer and the Knowledge of God</a><span style="font-family: "raleway" , sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;"> | Graeme Goldsworthy</span><br style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;" /><a data-cke-saved-href="http://www.amazon.com/Putting-Amazing-Back-into-Grace/dp/0801064007?ie=UTF8&tag=becisaiso-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" href="http://www.amazon.com/Putting-Amazing-Back-into-Grace/dp/0801064007?ie=UTF8&tag=becisaiso-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px; text-decoration: none; transition: all 0.2s ease-in-out;" target="_blank">Putting Amazing Back Into Grace</a><span style="font-family: "raleway" , sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;"> | Michael Horton</span><br style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;" /><a data-cke-saved-href="http://www.amazon.com/Trellis-Vine-Ministry-Mind-Shift-Everything/dp/1921441585?ie=UTF8&tag=becisaiso-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" href="http://www.amazon.com/Trellis-Vine-Ministry-Mind-Shift-Everything/dp/1921441585?ie=UTF8&tag=becisaiso-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px; text-decoration: none; transition: all 0.2s ease-in-out;" target="_blank">The Trellis and the Vine</a><span style="font-family: "raleway" , sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;"> | Colin Marshall & Tony Payne</span><br style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;" /><a data-cke-saved-href="http://www.amazon.com/Great-Theologians-Brief-Guide/dp/0830838759?ie=UTF8&tag=becisaiso-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" href="http://www.amazon.com/Great-Theologians-Brief-Guide/dp/0830838759?ie=UTF8&tag=becisaiso-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px; text-decoration: none; transition: all 0.2s ease-in-out;" target="_blank">The Great Theologians: A Brief Guide</a><span style="font-family: "raleway" , sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;"> | Gerald R. McDermott</span><br style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;" /><a data-cke-saved-href="http://www.amazon.com/When-Helping-Hurts-Alleviating-Ourselves/dp/0802457053?ie=UTF8&tag=becisaiso-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" href="http://www.amazon.com/When-Helping-Hurts-Alleviating-Ourselves/dp/0802457053?ie=UTF8&tag=becisaiso-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px; text-decoration: none; transition: all 0.2s ease-in-out;" target="_blank">When Helping Hurts: Alleviating Poverty Without Hurting the Poor</a><span style="font-family: "raleway" , sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;"> | Brian Fikkert & Steve Corbett </span><br style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;" /><br style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;" /><strong style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;">Advanced Reading</strong><br style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;" /><a data-cke-saved-href="http://www.amazon.com/Chosen-Life-Case-Divine-Election/dp/1581348436?ie=UTF8&tag=becisaiso-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" href="http://www.amazon.com/Chosen-Life-Case-Divine-Election/dp/1581348436?ie=UTF8&tag=becisaiso-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px; text-decoration: none; transition: all 0.2s ease-in-out;" target="_blank">Chosen for Life</a><span style="font-family: "raleway" , sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;"> | Sam Storms</span><br style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;" /><a data-cke-saved-href="http://www.amazon.com/Courage-Protestant-Truth-lovers-Marketers-Postmodern/dp/0802840078?ie=UTF8&tag=becisaiso-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" href="http://www.amazon.com/Courage-Protestant-Truth-lovers-Marketers-Postmodern/dp/0802840078?ie=UTF8&tag=becisaiso-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px; text-decoration: none; transition: all 0.2s ease-in-out;" target="_blank">Courage to be Protestant</a><span style="font-family: "raleway" , sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;"> | David Wells</span><br style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;" /><a data-cke-saved-href="http://www.amazon.com/Systematic-Theology-Introduction-Biblical-Doctrine/dp/0310286700?ie=UTF8&tag=becisaiso-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" href="http://www.amazon.com/Systematic-Theology-Introduction-Biblical-Doctrine/dp/0310286700?ie=UTF8&tag=becisaiso-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px; text-decoration: none; transition: all 0.2s ease-in-out;" target="_blank">Systematic Theology</a><span style="font-family: "raleway" , sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;"> | Wayne Grudem</span><br style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;" /><br style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;" /><strong style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;">Devotional Reading</strong><br style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;" /><a data-cke-saved-href="http://www.amazon.com/MY-UTMOST-HIS-HIGHEST-CHAMBERS/dp/0929239784?ie=UTF8&tag=becisaiso-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" href="http://www.amazon.com/MY-UTMOST-HIS-HIGHEST-CHAMBERS/dp/0929239784?ie=UTF8&tag=becisaiso-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px; text-decoration: none; transition: all 0.2s ease-in-out;" target="_blank">My Utmost for His Highest</a><span style="font-family: "raleway" , sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;"> | Oswald Chambers </span><br style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;" /><a data-cke-saved-href="http://www.amazon.com/Grace-Moment-Max-Lucado/dp/1404187863?ie=UTF8&tag=becisaiso-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" href="http://www.amazon.com/Grace-Moment-Max-Lucado/dp/1404187863?ie=UTF8&tag=becisaiso-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px; text-decoration: none; transition: all 0.2s ease-in-out;" target="_blank">Grace for the Moment</a><span style="font-family: "raleway" , sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;"> | Max Lucado</span><br style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;" /><a data-cke-saved-href="http://www.amazon.com/Forty-Loaves-Breaking-Bread-Father/dp/0307444902?ie=UTF8&tag=becisaiso-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" href="http://www.amazon.com/Forty-Loaves-Breaking-Bread-Father/dp/0307444902?ie=UTF8&tag=becisaiso-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px; text-decoration: none; transition: all 0.2s ease-in-out;" target="_blank">Forty Loaves</a><span style="font-family: "raleway" , sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;"> | C. D. Baker</span><br style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;" /><a data-cke-saved-href="http://www.amazon.com/Experiencing-God-Day-Day-Devotional/dp/0805462988?ie=UTF8&tag=becisaiso-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" href="http://www.amazon.com/Experiencing-God-Day-Day-Devotional/dp/0805462988?ie=UTF8&tag=becisaiso-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px; text-decoration: none; transition: all 0.2s ease-in-out;" target="_blank">Experiencing God Day-by-Day Devotional</a><span style="font-family: "raleway" , sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;"> | Richard & Henry Blackaby</span><br style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;" /><a data-cke-saved-href="http://www.amazon.com/Breakfast-Jesus-Greg-Laurie/dp/0842353283?ie=UTF8&tag=becisaiso-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" href="http://www.amazon.com/Breakfast-Jesus-Greg-Laurie/dp/0842353283?ie=UTF8&tag=becisaiso-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px; text-decoration: none; transition: all 0.2s ease-in-out;" target="_blank">Breakfast With Jesus</a><span style="font-family: "raleway" , sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;"> | Greg Laurie</span><br style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;" /><a data-cke-saved-href="http://www.amazon.com/Long-Story-Short-Ten-Minute-Devotions/dp/1935273817?ie=UTF8&tag=becisaiso-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" href="http://www.amazon.com/Long-Story-Short-Ten-Minute-Devotions/dp/1935273817?ie=UTF8&tag=becisaiso-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px; text-decoration: none; transition: all 0.2s ease-in-out;" target="_blank">Long Story Short: Ten-Minute Devotions to Draw Your Family to God</a><span style="font-family: "raleway" , sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;"> | Marty Machowski</span><br style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;" /><a data-cke-saved-href="http://www.amazon.com/Daily-Bible-International-Devotional-Insights/dp/0736901981?ie=UTF8&tag=becisaiso-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" href="http://www.amazon.com/Daily-Bible-International-Devotional-Insights/dp/0736901981?ie=UTF8&tag=becisaiso-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px; text-decoration: none; transition: all 0.2s ease-in-out;" target="_blank">The Daily Bible in Chronological Order: 365 Daily Readings</a><span style="font-family: "raleway" , sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;"> | Harvest House</span><br style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;" /><a data-cke-saved-href="http://odb.org/" href="http://odb.org/" style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px; text-decoration: none; transition: all 0.2s ease-in-out;">Our Daily Bread</a><span style="font-family: "raleway" , sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;"> | Available in print form at church or read online </span><br style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;" /><br style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;" /><span style="font-family: "raleway" , sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;"><strong>Marriage</strong></span><br style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;" /><a data-cke-saved-href="http://www.amazon.com/Love-Respect-Desires-Desperately-Needs/dp/1591451876?ie=UTF8&tag=becisaiso-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" href="http://www.amazon.com/Love-Respect-Desires-Desperately-Needs/dp/1591451876?ie=UTF8&tag=becisaiso-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px; text-decoration: none; transition: all 0.2s ease-in-out;" target="_blank">Love and Respect </a><span style="font-family: "raleway" , sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;">| Emerson Eggerichs</span><br style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;" /><a data-cke-saved-href="http://www.amazon.com/His-Needs-Her-Parents-Keeping/dp/0800759362?ie=UTF8&tag=becisaiso-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" href="http://www.amazon.com/His-Needs-Her-Parents-Keeping/dp/0800759362?ie=UTF8&tag=becisaiso-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px; text-decoration: none; transition: all 0.2s ease-in-out;" target="_blank">His Needs, Her Needs For Parents</a><span style="font-family: "raleway" , sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;"> | Willard F. Harley, Jr.</span><br style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;" /><a data-cke-saved-href="http://www.amazon.com/Couples-Only-Eyeopening-Insights-Opposite/dp/1601422482?ie=UTF8&tag=becisaiso-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" href="http://www.amazon.com/Couples-Only-Eyeopening-Insights-Opposite/dp/1601422482?ie=UTF8&tag=becisaiso-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px; text-decoration: none; transition: all 0.2s ease-in-out;" target="_blank">For Couples Only</a><span style="font-family: "raleway" , sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;"> | Jeff & Shaunti Feldhahn</span><br style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;" /><a data-cke-saved-href="http://www.amazon.com/Marriage-Bed-Ray-Rhodes-Jr/dp/0982834306?ie=UTF8&tag=becisaiso-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" href="http://www.amazon.com/Marriage-Bed-Ray-Rhodes-Jr/dp/0982834306?ie=UTF8&tag=becisaiso-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px; text-decoration: none; transition: all 0.2s ease-in-out;" target="_blank">The Marriage Bed</a><span style="font-family: "raleway" , sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;"> | Ray Rhodes, Jr.</span><br style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;" /><a data-cke-saved-href="http://www.amazon.com/Sacred-Marriage-Gary-Thomas/dp/0310242827?ie=UTF8&tag=becisaiso-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" href="http://www.amazon.com/Sacred-Marriage-Gary-Thomas/dp/0310242827?ie=UTF8&tag=becisaiso-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px; text-decoration: none; transition: all 0.2s ease-in-out;" target="_blank">Sacred Marriage</a><span style="font-family: "raleway" , sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;"> | Gary Thomas</span><br style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;" /><a data-cke-saved-href="http://www.amazon.com/Prayers-Excellent-Wife-Intercession-Him/dp/1449534023?ie=UTF8&tag=becisaiso-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" href="http://www.amazon.com/Prayers-Excellent-Wife-Intercession-Him/dp/1449534023?ie=UTF8&tag=becisaiso-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; 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font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;" /><a data-cke-saved-href="http://www.amazon.com/Sex-Has-Price-Tag-Spirituality/dp/0310249716?ie=UTF8&tag=becisaiso-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" href="http://www.amazon.com/Sex-Has-Price-Tag-Spirituality/dp/0310249716?ie=UTF8&tag=becisaiso-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px; text-decoration: none; transition: all 0.2s ease-in-out;" target="_blank">Sex Has A Price Tag</a><span style="font-family: "raleway" , sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;"> | Pam Stenzel</span><br style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;" /><a data-cke-saved-href="http://www.amazon.com/Talk-What-Your-Kids-About/dp/158333310X?ie=UTF8&tag=becisaiso-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" href="http://www.amazon.com/Talk-What-Your-Kids-About/dp/158333310X?ie=UTF8&tag=becisaiso-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; 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I. Packer</span><br style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;" /><a data-cke-saved-href="http://www.amazon.com/Gospel-Personal-Evangelism-Mark-Dever/dp/1581348460?ie=UTF8&tag=becisaiso-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" href="http://www.amazon.com/Gospel-Personal-Evangelism-Mark-Dever/dp/1581348460?ie=UTF8&tag=becisaiso-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px; text-decoration: none; transition: all 0.2s ease-in-out;" target="_blank">Gospel and Personal Evangelism</a><span style="font-family: "raleway" , sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;"> | Mark Dever</span><br style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;" /><a data-cke-saved-href="http://www.amazon.com/Let-Nations-Be-Glad-Supremacy/dp/0801036410?ie=UTF8&tag=becisaiso-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" href="http://www.amazon.com/Let-Nations-Be-Glad-Supremacy/dp/0801036410?ie=UTF8&tag=becisaiso-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px; text-decoration: none; transition: all 0.2s ease-in-out;" target="_blank">Let the Nations Be Glad</a><span style="font-family: "raleway" , sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;"> | John Piper</span><br style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;" /><a data-cke-saved-href="http://www.amazon.com/Reason-God-Belief-Age-Skepticism/dp/1594483493?ie=UTF8&tag=becisaiso-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" href="http://www.amazon.com/Reason-God-Belief-Age-Skepticism/dp/1594483493?ie=UTF8&tag=becisaiso-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px; text-decoration: none; transition: all 0.2s ease-in-out;" target="_blank">Reason for God</a><span style="font-family: "raleway" , sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;"> | Tim Keller</span><br style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;" /><a data-cke-saved-href="http://www.amazon.com/Tell-Truth-Gospel-Person-People/dp/0830823220?ie=UTF8&tag=becisaiso-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" href="http://www.amazon.com/Tell-Truth-Gospel-Person-People/dp/0830823220?ie=UTF8&tag=becisaiso-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px; text-decoration: none; transition: all 0.2s ease-in-out;" target="_blank">Tell the Truth</a><span style="font-family: "raleway" , sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;"> | Will Metzger</span><br style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;" /><a data-cke-saved-href="http://www.amazon.com/Who-Made-Searching-Theory-Everything/dp/0852347073?ie=UTF8&tag=becisaiso-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" href="http://www.amazon.com/Who-Made-Searching-Theory-Everything/dp/0852347073?ie=UTF8&tag=becisaiso-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px; text-decoration: none; transition: all 0.2s ease-in-out;" target="_blank">Who Made God?</a><span style="font-family: "raleway" , sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;"> | Edgar Andrews</span><br style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;" /><a data-cke-saved-href="http://www.amazon.com/Pocket-Handbook-Christian-Apologetics-Kreeft/dp/0830827021?ie=UTF8&tag=becisaiso-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" href="http://www.amazon.com/Pocket-Handbook-Christian-Apologetics-Kreeft/dp/0830827021?ie=UTF8&tag=becisaiso-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px; text-decoration: none; transition: all 0.2s ease-in-out;" target="_blank">Handbook of Christian Apologetics</a><span style="font-family: "raleway" , sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;"> | Peter Kreeft & Ronald K. Tacelli</span><br style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;" /><a data-cke-saved-href="http://www.amazon.com/Case-Christ-Journalists-Personal-Investigation/dp/0310209307?ie=UTF8&tag=becisaiso-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" href="http://www.amazon.com/Case-Christ-Journalists-Personal-Investigation/dp/0310209307?ie=UTF8&tag=becisaiso-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px; text-decoration: none; transition: all 0.2s ease-in-out;" target="_blank">The Case for Christ</a><span style="font-family: "raleway" , sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;"> | Lee Strobel</span><br style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;" /><br style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;" /><strong style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;">Study Bibles</strong><br style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;" /><span style="font-family: "raleway" , sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;">Study Bibles provide insightful notes and clarifying articles along the way to help you understand Scripture more deeply.</span><br style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;" /><a data-cke-saved-href="http://www.amazon.com/Study-Bible-Brown-Portfolio-Design/dp/1433515164?ie=UTF8&tag=becisaiso-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" href="http://www.amazon.com/Study-Bible-Brown-Portfolio-Design/dp/1433515164?ie=UTF8&tag=becisaiso-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px; text-decoration: none; transition: all 0.2s ease-in-out;" target="_blank">ESV Study Bible</a><span style="font-family: "raleway" , sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;"> | Crossway</span><br style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;" /><a data-cke-saved-href="http://www.amazon.com/Zondervan-NIV-Study-Bible-Indexed/dp/0310929776?ie=UTF8&tag=becisaiso-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" href="http://www.amazon.com/Zondervan-NIV-Study-Bible-Indexed/dp/0310929776?ie=UTF8&tag=becisaiso-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px; text-decoration: none; transition: all 0.2s ease-in-out;" target="_blank">NIV Study Bible</a><span style="font-family: "raleway" , sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;"> | Zondervan</span><br style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;" /><a data-cke-saved-href="http://www.amazon.com/Life-Application-Study-Bible-NIV/dp/0842348921?ie=UTF8&tag=becisaiso-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" href="http://www.amazon.com/Life-Application-Study-Bible-NIV/dp/0842348921?ie=UTF8&tag=becisaiso-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px; text-decoration: none; transition: all 0.2s ease-in-out;" target="_blank">Life Application Study Bible NIV</a><span style="font-family: "raleway" , sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;"> | Zondervan</span><br style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;" /><br style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;" /><span style="font-family: "raleway" , sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;"><strong>Bible Study Aides</strong></span><br style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;" /><a data-cke-saved-href="http://www.amazon.com/How-Read-Bible-All-Worth/dp/0310246040?ie=UTF8&tag=becisaiso-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" href="http://www.amazon.com/How-Read-Bible-All-Worth/dp/0310246040?ie=UTF8&tag=becisaiso-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px; text-decoration: none; transition: all 0.2s ease-in-out;" target="_blank">How to Read the Bible for All Its Worth</a><span style="font-family: "raleway" , sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;"> | Gordon D. Fee & Douglas Stuart</span><br style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;" /><a data-cke-saved-href="http://www.amazon.com/Grasping-Gods-Word-Hands-Interpreting/dp/0310259665?ie=UTF8&tag=becisaiso-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" href="http://www.amazon.com/Grasping-Gods-Word-Hands-Interpreting/dp/0310259665?ie=UTF8&tag=becisaiso-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px; text-decoration: none; transition: all 0.2s ease-in-out;" target="_blank">Grasping God's Word</a><span style="font-family: "raleway" , sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;"> | J. Scott Duvall & J. Daniel Hays</span><br style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;" /><br style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;" /><strong style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;">Reference Works</strong><br style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;" /><a data-cke-saved-href="http://www.amazon.com/Commentary-New-Testament-Use-Old/dp/0801026938?ie=UTF8&tag=becisaiso-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" href="http://www.amazon.com/Commentary-New-Testament-Use-Old/dp/0801026938?ie=UTF8&tag=becisaiso-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px; text-decoration: none; transition: all 0.2s ease-in-out;" target="_blank">Commentary on the N.T. use of the O.T.</a><span style="font-family: "raleway" , sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;"> | G.K. Beale & D. A. Carson</span><br style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;" /><a data-cke-saved-href="http://www.amazon.com/Introduction-Old-Testament-Second/dp/0310263417?ie=UTF8&tag=becisaiso-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" href="http://www.amazon.com/Introduction-Old-Testament-Second/dp/0310263417?ie=UTF8&tag=becisaiso-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px; text-decoration: none; transition: all 0.2s ease-in-out;" target="_blank">Introduction to the Old Testament</a><span style="font-family: "raleway" , sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;"> | Tremper Longman & Raymond Dillard</span><br style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;" /><a data-cke-saved-href="http://www.amazon.com/Introduction-New-Testament-D-Carson/dp/0310238595?ie=UTF8&tag=becisaiso-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" href="http://www.amazon.com/Introduction-New-Testament-D-Carson/dp/0310238595?ie=UTF8&tag=becisaiso-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px; text-decoration: none; transition: all 0.2s ease-in-out;" target="_blank">Introduction to the New Testament</a><span style="font-family: "raleway" , sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;"> | D. A. Carson & Douglas Moo</span><br style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;" /><a data-cke-saved-href="http://www.amazon.com/New-Dictionary-Biblical-Theology-Exploring/dp/0830814388?ie=UTF8&tag=becisaiso-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" href="http://www.amazon.com/New-Dictionary-Biblical-Theology-Exploring/dp/0830814388?ie=UTF8&tag=becisaiso-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px; text-decoration: none; transition: all 0.2s ease-in-out;" target="_blank">New Dictionary of Biblical Theology</a><span style="font-family: "raleway" , sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;"> | T. Desmond Alexander & Brian Rosner</span><br style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;" /><a data-cke-saved-href="http://www.amazon.com/Early-Christian-Doctrines-J-Kelly/dp/006064334X?ie=UTF8&tag=becisaiso-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" href="http://www.amazon.com/Early-Christian-Doctrines-J-Kelly/dp/006064334X?ie=UTF8&tag=becisaiso-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px; text-decoration: none; transition: all 0.2s ease-in-out;" target="_blank">Early Christian Doctrines</a><span style="font-family: "raleway" , sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;"> | J.N.D. Kelly</span><br style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;" /><br style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;" /><strong style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;">Classics</strong><br style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;" /><a data-cke-saved-href="http://www.amazon.com/Bondage-Will-Martin-Luther/dp/1449978622?ie=UTF8&tag=becisaiso-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" href="http://www.amazon.com/Bondage-Will-Martin-Luther/dp/1449978622?ie=UTF8&tag=becisaiso-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px; text-decoration: none; transition: all 0.2s ease-in-out;" target="_blank">Bondage of the Will</a><span style="font-family: "raleway" , sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;"> | Martin Luther</span><br style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;" /><a data-cke-saved-href="http://www.amazon.com/Bruised-Smoking-Flax-Intr-Essay/dp/1141019515?ie=UTF8&tag=becisaiso-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" href="http://www.amazon.com/Bruised-Smoking-Flax-Intr-Essay/dp/1141019515?ie=UTF8&tag=becisaiso-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px; text-decoration: none; transition: all 0.2s ease-in-out;" target="_blank">Bruised Reed</a><span style="font-family: "raleway" , sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;"> | Richard Sibbes</span><br style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;" /><a data-cke-saved-href="http://www.amazon.com/Confessions-Oxford-Worlds-Classics-Augustine/dp/0199537828?ie=UTF8&tag=becisaiso-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" href="http://www.amazon.com/Confessions-Oxford-Worlds-Classics-Augustine/dp/0199537828?ie=UTF8&tag=becisaiso-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px; text-decoration: none; transition: all 0.2s ease-in-out;" target="_blank">Confessions</a><span style="font-family: "raleway" , sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;"> | St. Augustine</span><br style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;" /><a data-cke-saved-href="http://www.amazon.com/Freedom-Will-Jonathan-Edwards/dp/1926777018?ie=UTF8&tag=becisaiso-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" href="http://www.amazon.com/Freedom-Will-Jonathan-Edwards/dp/1926777018?ie=UTF8&tag=becisaiso-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px; text-decoration: none; transition: all 0.2s ease-in-out;" target="_blank">Freedom of the Will</a><span style="font-family: "raleway" , sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;"> | Jonathan Edwards</span><br style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;" /><a data-cke-saved-href="http://www.amazon.com/Institutes-Christian-Religion-John-Calvin/dp/1598561685?ie=UTF8&tag=becisaiso-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" href="http://www.amazon.com/Institutes-Christian-Religion-John-Calvin/dp/1598561685?ie=UTF8&tag=becisaiso-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px; text-decoration: none; transition: all 0.2s ease-in-out;" target="_blank">Institutes of the Christian Religion</a><span style="font-family: "raleway" , sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;"> | John Calvin</span><br style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;" /><a data-cke-saved-href="http://www.amazon.com/Mortification-Sin-Puritan-Guide/dp/1449919987?ie=UTF8&tag=becisaiso-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" href="http://www.amazon.com/Mortification-Sin-Puritan-Guide/dp/1449919987?ie=UTF8&tag=becisaiso-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px; text-decoration: none; transition: all 0.2s ease-in-out;" target="_blank">Mortification of Sin</a><span style="font-family: "raleway" , sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;"> | John Owen</span><br style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;" /><a data-cke-saved-href="http://www.amazon.com/Religious-Affections-Jonathan-Edwards/dp/192677700X?ie=UTF8&tag=becisaiso-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" href="http://www.amazon.com/Religious-Affections-Jonathan-Edwards/dp/192677700X?ie=UTF8&tag=becisaiso-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px; text-decoration: none; transition: all 0.2s ease-in-out;" target="_blank">Religious Affections</a><span style="font-family: "raleway" , sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;"> | Jonathan Edwards</span><br style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;" /><a data-cke-saved-href="http://www.amazon.com/Pilgrims-Progress-Modern-English-Bunyan/dp/1589600134?ie=UTF8&tag=becisaiso-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" href="http://www.amazon.com/Pilgrims-Progress-Modern-English-Bunyan/dp/1589600134?ie=UTF8&tag=becisaiso-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px; text-decoration: none; transition: all 0.2s ease-in-out;" target="_blank">Pilgrim's Progress</a><span style="font-family: "raleway" , sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;"> | John Bunyan </span><br style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;" /><a data-cke-saved-href="http://www.amazon.com/Orthodoxy-Centennial-G-K-Chesterton/dp/1449512569?ie=UTF8&tag=becisaiso-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" href="http://www.amazon.com/Orthodoxy-Centennial-G-K-Chesterton/dp/1449512569?ie=UTF8&tag=becisaiso-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px; text-decoration: none; transition: all 0.2s ease-in-out;" target="_blank">Orthodoxy</a><span style="font-family: "raleway" , sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;"> | G.K. Chesterton</span></span>Chris Meirosehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05717903860701408008noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8657772.post-32257055084651978542015-11-09T16:58:00.001-06:002015-11-09T16:58:15.074-06:00My statement of faith<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;">Below is the document Pastor Chris Meirose submitted for review prior to his Ordination. While it is not binding that all church members must adhere to this document, it gives you an idea the direction Pastor Chris guides the church.</span><br style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;" /></span><br />
<a name='more'></a><br style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;" /><strong style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;">I. Integrating Motif: The Grace of God</strong><br style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;" /><br style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;" /><em style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px; position: relative;">A. Theological Basis</em><br style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;" /><span style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;">The word xaris in the Greek New Testament is translated as “grace”. We see from Romans 3:22-24, 5:15-16 that grace by definition is not something we have earned, it is given without expectation of repayment. We have not done and cannot do anything to compel God to give His grace. When we experience God’s grace we find a freeness to know God in our relationship to Jesus Christ (Jn 1:16-17).</span><br style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;" /><br style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;" /><span style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;">The central theme of the Bible is God’s grace. We find this from the beginning to the end of the Bible. Genesis 1-2 tell of God’s gracious act in creating the world for the welfare of mankind. From there on we can trace the grace of God through the way He first dealt with sin in Genesis 3:16-22, to Revelation 22:17 where God is still inviting people to receive His grace.</span><br style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;" /><br style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;" /><span style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;">God continually shows that He is a gracious God, forgiving people’s sins, sending his Son to die on a cross for people’s sins (Jn 3:16-17), and delivering those who do not deserve such kindness from their sins. God in grace enters into covenant relationships in the Old Testament as testaments to His grace (Noah and Abraham in Genesis for example). In many other places as well, God showers humanity with grace. Scripture continually reminds us that grace is a blessing given freely by God to those He has created.</span><br style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;" /><br style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;" /><em style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px; position: relative;">B. Ministerial Implications</em><br style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;" /><span style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;">Christ is the core expression of God’s grace for humanity. Through Christ’s atonement for our sins we are freed by God from the judgment and wrath that would rightfully be ours as a result of our sins. Christ’s work on the cross fully reconciles through grace all those who would trust in Christ as Lord and Savior (Eph 2:8).</span><br style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;" /><br style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;" /><span style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;">The role of grace in my own life cannot be underestimated. I daily need to rely upon grace as I continually sin. From this first hand experience of God’s grace I am able to understand how God’s grace plays out in other people’s lives, and in the church. The foundation of Christ’s church rests solely on God’s grace. The very nature and mission of the church is defined by grace. Without this grace the church falls into either legalism or liberalism, both of which reduce or remove the power of the work of Christ. The church (and thereby God’s people) is God’s chosen way to bring grace into the world. </span><br style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;" /><br style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;" /><span style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;">God’s grace through Jesus Christ needs to be the central focus of my ministry. I need to teach, preach and model grace in ways that lead others to embrace and grow in grace. I desire to create an environment in my church where others can experience grace, and learn to share it with others. Through this multiplication God’s grace will be spread much further than I could ever do on my own.</span><br style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;" /><br style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;" /><strong style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;">Outline</strong><br style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;" /><span style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;">I. Scripture – Through God’s grace we are given Scripture so that we may know Him and make Him known.</span><br style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;" /><span style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;">II. God – God is the creator and giver of grace, and does this in and through Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit.</span><br style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;" /><span style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;">III. Humanity – Humanity exists solely through the grace of God.</span><br style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;" /><span style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;">IV. Sin – Only through God’s grace can our sins be reconciled.</span><br style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;" /><span style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;">V. Jesus Christ – Jesus Christ is the ultimate expression of God’s grace, serving as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.</span><br style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;" /><span style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;">VI. Holy Spirit – It is through the Holy Spirit that we receive God’s grace and come to know Christ.</span><br style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;" /><span style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;">VII. Salvation – Without grace we could not be justified, sanctified or glorified.</span><br style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;" /><span style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;">VIII. The Church – The church is God’s primary instrument of Grace in the world.</span><br style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;" /><span style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;">IX. The Last Things – Through God’s grace all things will come to the conclusions that He has intended.</span><br style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;" /><br style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;" /><br style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;" /><strong style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;">II. God: The Source and Giver of Grace</strong><br style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;" /><span style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;">God is a wonderful and mysterious being. His nature is beyond human understanding, and human words cannot fully do him justice. But human language, though limited, can give us an adequate understanding of who God is. When we consider the attributes, nature, and works of God, we see a God who is both the source and giver of grace.</span><br style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;" /><br style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;" /><em style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px; position: relative;">A. Attributes of God</em><br style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;" /><span style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;">God is transcendent. He exists above and beyond the limits of earthly life (1 Kings 8:27; Acts 17:24-25), and his ways and character are vastly superior to those of human beings (Isa 55:8). God is also eternal. He has always existed (Deut 32:40; Ps 93:2), is uncreated (Ex 3:14; Isa 43:10), and lacks human spatial-temporal limitations (Isa 40:28; Ps 102:25). God is sovereign. In his sovereignty God possesses complete authority over the universe (1 Sam 2:6-8; Ps 24:1, 10), is all-powerful (Job 42:2; Ps 115:3), ever-present (Ps 139:7; Jer 23:23), and all-knowing (Ps 33:13-15; Isa 46:9-11). God is perfectly holy (Ex 15:11; Lev 11:44-45). In his holiness he is perfectly truthful and righteous (Num 23:19; Job 4:17), and is totally free from sin (Deut 32:4; 1 Jn 1:5). God is gracious. He is gracious in all wisdom and insight according to his purposes (Eph 1:7-9).</span><br style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;" /><br style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;" /><span style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;">If the above attributes told the whole story of what God is like, we might come to the same conclusion as the deists that God is distant and aloof. But the God of the Bible deeply loves the world and is greatly involved in its affairs. As we consider those attributes of God which relate to his love for and nearness to the world, we begin to see the mystery of how truly gracious he is.</span><br style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;" /><br style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;" /><span style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;">Though transcendent, God is also immanent. He dwells close to those he loves (Ex 29:45-46; Isa 57:15), knows people intimately (Ps 139:1-6; Mt 10:30), is concerned about peoples’ needs (Ps 33:13-15; Mt 6:25-30), and desires personal, intimate fellowship with humans (Ex 29:45-46; Acts 17:27). Though eternal, God is also personal. He thinks and knows (1 Sam 2:3; 1 Jn 3:20), formulates and carries out plans (Isa 14:26; Acts 2:23), feels emotion (Gen 6:6; Ex 20:5), and responds to the human requests (Ex 3:7; Phil 4:6). Though sovereign, God is also just and kind. He judges impartially (Deut 10:17; Mt 5:45), is upright in all he does (Deut 32:4; Ps 33:5), and provides for all of humanity’s needs (Ps 23-5-6; Phil 4:19). Though holy, God is also loving, compassionate and merciful. He forgives sin (Neh 9:31; Ps 103:11, 12), upholds the cause of the oppressed (Ps 140:12; Lk 18:7, 8), and treats humans better than they deserve (Ex 4:6, 7; Ps 103:8-10).</span><br style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;" /><br style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;" /><em style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px; position: relative;">B. The Trinity</em><br style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;" /><span style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;">God is one in nature, meaning that he is a unity. There are not many or even several Gods; there is only one God (Deut 6:4; Isa 44:6). Though one in nature, God exists as three persons: Father, Son and Holy Spirit (Mt 28:19; Jn 14:11-17). The three persons of the godhead live in a communion with one another which is characterized by mutual love (Jn 3:35; 5:20), mutual honoring (Jn 5:22-23; 7:16-18), sharing of authority and power (Jn 5:20-22; 17:1-2), and unity of purpose (Jn 5:19-20; 15:26). All three persons of the Godhead share in graciousness (Heb 10:29, John 1:14, James 1:17)</span><br style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;" /><br style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;" /><em style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px; position: relative;">C. Works of God</em><br style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;" /><br style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;" /><u style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;">1. Creation</u><br style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;" /><span style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;">God is the Creator of all things (Gen 1:1; Neh 9:6; Col 1:16). God created the universe so that created beings might praise and glorify him (Rom 1:20; Acts 17:24-27). God also created the heavens and earth for the welfare and enjoyment of humankind (Gen 1:26-30; 9:1-3; Ps 8:8), and created humanity for fellowship with himself (Gen 3:8-10; 18:17-33). God’s Creation is good (Gen 1:31; 1 Tim 4:4), although it is polluted by the effects of sin (Gen 3:17-19; Rom 8:19-22). Creation is an expression of God’s generous and gracious nature.</span><br style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;" /><br style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;" /><u style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;">2. Providence</u><br style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;" /><span style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;">All of Creation is under God’s gracious providence. In his providence, God gives, empowers, and preserves all life (Ps 41:1-2; Acts 17:28), and controls the universe (Job 12:10; Ps 50:9-12). In his providence, God provides for all the needs of those who trust him (Ps 23:5-6; Phil 4:19), and limits and directs evil in such a way as to accomplish his good purposes and to bless those who love him (Gen 50:20; Rom 8:28).</span><br style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;" /><br style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;" /><u style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;">3. Angels, Demons and Satan</u><br style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;" /><span style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;">With God in heaven live angels, whom God has created (2 Chron 18:18; Ps 148:2). There are good (obedient) angels (Ps 103:20; Mt 6:10), and bad (disobedient) ones (2 Pet 2:4; Jude 6), which are Satan and his demons (2 Cor 11:13-15; Rev 12:7-9). Good angels serve and worship God (Ps 103:21, Isa 6:1-3), and guide, protect, and serve believers (Lk 1:26-38; Acts 8:26; Ps 34:7). Unlike good angels, Satan and his demons work to harm and deceive humans (1 Sam 16:14; Mk 5:5; 2 Cor 11:13). Although Satan and his demons are powerful, God is sovereign over them, and graciously works through his angels to resist them and to protect believers from them (Ps 34:7; Ps 91:9; Mk 1:32).</span><br style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;" /><br style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;" /><strong style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;">III. Humanity: The Recipients of God’s Grace</strong><br style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;" /><span style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;">God has graciously created the universe and everything in it and now graciously sustains and protects his Creation. While God cares about all of his Creation, the part of Creation he loves most is humanity. As we consider the nature and purpose of human persons, we see God’s incredible grace at work in and through humanity.</span><br style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;" /><br style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;" /><em style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px; position: relative;">A. Makeup of Human Nature</em><br style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;" /><span style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;">God has created human beings in his own image (Gen 1:26-27; 5:1). This means, among other things, that humans are moral (Gen 3:1-5; Deut 30:1-20), have free will (Gen 2:16; 1 Cor 7:37), are rational (Lk 24:45; Rom 12:2), emotional (Job 30:25; Isa 61:10), and relational (Gen 2:18-25; Rom 12:9, 10). Human beings, like God, are also spiritual (Acts 7:59; Heb 4:12), having an eternal soul (Mt 10:28; Rev 20:4). Being created in God’s image, humankind has great inherent value (Mt 6:26-30; 12:11, 12), and is loved by God (Deut 4:37; Jn 3:16). Through Christ we not only receive grace, but are participants in giving grace (2 Cor 1:15).</span><br style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;" /><br style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;" /><span style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;">Though created in God’s image, humans are inferior to God (Job 15:14; Ps 144:3, 4), are accountable to him (Ezek 18:20, 30; Mt 12:36), and are totally dependent on him (Ps 16:2; Jer 10:23). Unlike their Creator, humans have physical, limited bodies which are subject to deterioration and death (Gen 6:3; Mt 10:28).</span><br style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;" /><br style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;" /><span style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;">Despite having been created in God’s image, human beings have fallen from their original, ideal state (Gen 3). Because of the Fall humans are now sinful by nature (Job 15:14-16; Ps 51:5-7), meaning, among other things, that our wills are inclined to evil (Gen 6:5; Eccles 7:20), our minds darkened by ignorance of God (Eccles 3:11; 1 Cor 3:18-20), and our souls fundamentally alienated from God (Ps 66:18; Eph 2:1-12). Because of the Fall human minds and bodies are now frail, weak, and finite (Gen 6:3; Ps 39:4-6, 90:3-10).</span><br style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;" /><br style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;" /><em style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px; position: relative;">B. Purpose of Humanity</em><br style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;" /><span style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;">God has created human beings to know and enjoy him (Rm 11:36; Col 1:16). Humans exist to praise and glorify their gracious and powerful Creator (Isa 43:7; Eph 11:12). They also exist to be loved by God (Jer 31:3; Jn 3:16), to love him in return (Deut 6:3; Mt 22:37), and to love others for his sake (Mt 22:39; 1 Cor 13:1-13). God has created humans to serve him (Gen 2:15-17), to be the stewards of his earth (Gen 1:26-30), and to enjoy friendship and fellowship with him (Gen 3:8-11, 4:3-7).</span><br style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;" /><br style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;" /><strong style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;">IV. Sin: The Need for God’s Saving Grace</strong><br style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;" /><span style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;">Although God has graciously created humanity for the purpose of knowing and enjoying fellowship with himself, humanity chooses to reject and rebel against God. Such rejection and rebellion is called sin. As we consider the nature, effects, and extent of sin, we see that sin is the reason human beings stand in need of God’s saving grace in Jesus Christ.</span><br style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;" /><br style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;" /><em style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px; position: relative;">A. Nature of Sin</em><br style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;" /><span style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;">“A sin” is an act of disobedience against God’s will. For example, Adam and Eve sinned against God by disobeying his command not to eat fruit from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil (Gen 2:16, 17, 3:2-6). Inasmuch as sin is disobedience, it is an act of the will (Deut 1:26; Isa 48:4, 8). Both intentional and unintentional disobedience is considered sinful by God (Lev 5:14-15; Ezek 45:20).</span><br style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;" /><br style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;" /><span style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;">“Sin” may also refer to humanity’s sinful condition, or nature. For example, when the psalmist laments, “Surely I have been a sinner from birth, sinful from the time my mother conceived me” (Ps 51:5), he is saying that he is, by nature, morally inclined to evil. A sinful nature in humans is what produces sinful acts. Inasmuch as sin is a fundamental condition of persons, it is an attitude of the heart (Jer 17:9; Mt 5:17-19).</span><br style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;" /><br style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;" /><span style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;">Sin (both the nature and the acts) contradicts all that is God (Lev 19:2; Mt 5:48). Sin is rejection of and rebellion against God (Num 14:9; Lk 10:16), and is a deep and profound offense to him (Gen 6:5, 6; Rom 1:18) and is corrosive to our relationship with him.</span><br style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;" /><br style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;" /><em style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px; position: relative;">B. Effects of Sin</em><br style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;" /><span style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;">The effects of humanity’s sin are devastating. Sin alienates people from God (Rom 8:7; Eph 2:1-5, 12), and brings God’s wrath and condemnation against sinners (Ex 32:9, 10; Jn 3:36). Among people, sin leads to hatred, rage, and murder (Gen 4:5-8; Eph 4:31), to injustice and innocent suffering (Ps 10:2; Eccles 4:1), and to tempting others to sin (1 Kings 21:25; Prov 16:29). Within individuals, sin leads to enslavement to evil (Jn 8:34-36; Rom 7:14-20), moral and spiritual blindness (Prov 4:19; Rom 1:21-23), and personal distress and anxiety (Job 15:20-26; Isa 57:20, 21). Within Creation, Sin results in pollution and destruction (Gen 3:17-19; Rom 8:19-22).</span><br style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;" /><br style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;" /><em style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px; position: relative;">C. Nature and Extent of Original Sin</em><br style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;" /><span style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;">Through Adam and Eve’s first act of sin, sin entered the human race forever (Rom 5:12). Every person since Adam and Eve has been born with a sinful nature (Isa 64:6; Rom 3:19; 5:12). This means that every person is thoroughly corrupted by sin (depraved); we are naturally and profoundly prone to evil desires and evil deeds (Ps 14:2; Jn 3:19; Rom 13:23). Sinful humanity is enslaved to sin; it cannot stop sinning, even when it wants to (Jn 8:34-36; Rom 7:14-20). All (unrepentant) human beings stand guilty before God because of their sin (Isa 64:6; Rom 3:19-23). Those persons who refuse to repent of their sin and turn to God in faith will be eternally separated from God (Dan 12:2; Jn 3:18).</span><br style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;" /><br style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;" /><strong style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;">V. Scripture: The Revelation of God’s Grace</strong><br style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;" /><span style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;">The Holy Scriptures, or the Bible, tell the story of God and his interactions with his creation. Through the Holy Scriptures, God graciously reveals to humanity his own character, will, and ways, so that humanity might return to him and be reconciled to him.</span><br style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;" /><br style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;" /><em style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px; position: relative;">A. Revelation</em><br style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;" /><span style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;">Through Scripture, God graciously reveals himself to humanity. As in no other collection of sacred writings, God communicates, through the Bible, his character, ways, and will. God’s revelation recorded in Scripture has come to humans through many means, including angels (Dan 4:13; Lk 1:11), historical events (Ps 105:1-45; Acts 7:2-53), dreams and visions (Gen 15:1; Mt 1:20), miracles (Ex 4:2-9; Jn 2:11), spoken words from God (1 Sam 3:2-6; Acts 9:3-6) and the incarnation of Jesus Christ (Jn 1:1, 14-18; Heb 1:1-3). The reason God has chosen to reveal himself in these and other ways is so that humans might know, fear, trust, and obey him, and thus enjoy restored fellowship with him through his grace (Deut 11:22-28; 1 Tim 3:15-17).</span><br style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;" /><br style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;" /><em style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px; position: relative;">B. Inspiration</em><br style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;" /><span style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;">Everything written in the Bible has been inspired by the Spirit of God (2 Sam 23:1-3; Jn 16:12-15; 2 Tim 3:16). This means that the Holy Spirit has instigated and superintended the writing of Scripture in such a way that the human authors of Scripture have written what God intended them to write (Ps 18:30; 1 Pet 1:23-25). To say that the Bible is inspired of God is to assert that God, speaking through humans, has authored the writings of Scripture (1 Thess 2:13; 2 Pet 1:20).</span><br style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;" /><br style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;" /><em style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px; position: relative;">C. Illumination</em><br style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;" /><span style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;">Though God reveals himself through the Scriptures, this revelation cannot be understood by unaided human minds, which are blinded by sin (Rm 8:5-7; 1 Cor 1:18-25). In order for a person to be able to understand the meaning of God’s revelation in the Bible, the Holy Spirit must grant him or her understanding (1 Cor 2:11-16). Through illumination, God’s Holy Spirit graciously enlightens human minds concerning the meaning of Scripture.</span><br style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;" /><br style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;" /><em style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px; position: relative;">D. Authority</em><br style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;" /><span style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;">As God’s special and trustworthy self-revelation, the Bible is authoritative for human belief and conduct. What the Bible teaches us to believe about God, humanity, and the world, we ought to believe, and what the Bible teaches us to do as followers of Jesus we ought to do. God’s revelation in Scripture is given for our salvation and sanctification (Jn 20:31; Rm 1:16; Col 3:16)—therefore, the Church should use it for admonishment, encouragement, discipline, guidance, teaching, and worship (1 Cor 10:11; 2 Tim 3:16, 17; Rm 15:4).</span><br style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;" /><br style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;" /><em style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px; position: relative;">E. Inerrancy</em><br style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;" /><span style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;">God’s revelation in Scripture is trustworthy and authoritative. God’s words are the ultimate standard of truth (John 17:17). God cannot lie or speak falsely (2 Sam 7:28; Titus 1:2; Heb 6:8). All the words in Scripture are claimed to be completely true and without error (Numb 23:19; Ps 12:6; 119:89, 96; Prov 30:5; Mt 24:35). The inerrancy of Scripture means that Scripture in the original manuscripts does not affirm anything that is contrary to fact, the Bible always tells the truth.</span><br style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;" /><br style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;" /><strong style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;">Jesus Christ: The Full Expression of God’s Grace</strong><br style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;" /><span style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;">As noted earlier, because of sin, sinful humanity is alienated from God and is powerless to make itself right with God again. But God, in his infinite mercy, has come to earth in the person of Jesus Christ to reconcile sinful humanity to himself. In the person and work of God the Son, we see the fullest expression of God’s amazing grace.</span><br style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;" /><br style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;" /><em style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px; position: relative;">F. Humanity of Jesus Christ</em><br style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;" /><span style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;">During his earthly existence, Jesus Christ was fully human in nature. He was born of a human mother (Lk 2:6, 7), and died a physical death (Jn 19:30). Jesus had a physical nature (Lk 2:4-7, 21; Jn 1:14), an emotional nature (Mk 3:5; Jn 11:33-35), an intellectual nature (Lk 2:46, 47, 52), and a moral nature (Lk 4:1-13; Jn 4:34). He was subject to all the joys, sorrows, triumphs, and trials common to humanity. For example, he celebrated and mourned (Jn 2:1-10, 11:33-35, hungered and ate (Mt 4:2; Lk 24:42, 43), grew weary and rested (Mk 4:38), felt anger and compassion (Mk 3:5; Mt 9:36), and experienced temptation and physical pain (Mt 26:67; Lk 4:1-13).</span><br style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;" /><br style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;" /><em style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px; position: relative;">G. Deity of Jesus Christ</em><br style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;" /><span style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;">Before, during, and after his earthly existence, Jesus was and continues to be fully divine in nature. He has always existed as part of the triune godhead (Jn 8:58), and was involved with the Father and Holy Spirit in the creation of the world (Jn 1:1-3). As such, Jesus shares all authority, power, wisdom, glory, etc. with God the Father (Mt 28:18; Jn 3:35, 5:22, 8:58, 17:2). Jesus’ divinity is clearly expressed in the fact that he lived a sinless life, a life of perfect obedience to God the Father, despite being tempted to sin (2 Cor 5:21; Heb 4:15).</span><br style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;" /><br style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;" /><em style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px; position: relative;">H. The Atonement</em><br style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;" /><span style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;">All of humanity stands alienated from God because of its sin. Because God is perfectly holy and just, and humanity thoroughly corrupted by sin, a great barrier exists between God and humanity (Isa 59:2; Hab 1:13). This barrier arises out of the fact that a holy and just God is deeply offended by sin (Gen 6:5, 6; Rm 1:18) and must, in the interest of justice, give sinners the due penalty for their sin, which is death (Rm 6:23). Compounding the problem of this sin-barrier is the fact that humanity is powerless to completely turn from its sin (Rm 7:14-24), to cleanse itself of its sin (Pr 20:9), or to justify itself before God through its good works (Rom 3:20).</span><br style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;" /><br style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;" /><span style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;">God, in his grace, has provided a wonderful and gracious solution to the sin-barrier in the life and death of Jesus Christ. Through his sinless life and death on the cross, Jesus has paid the penalty for humanity’s sin, thus effecting atonement between God and humanity (Mt 26:28; 1 Pet 2:24). Among other things, Jesus’ atoning death accomplishes satisfaction of God’s justice (Rm 3:23; Gal 3:11-13), deliverance from God’s wrath (Rm 5:9; 1 Thess 1:10), redemption from enslavement to sin and Satan (Jn 8:34-36; Eph 1:7), reconciliation between God and humans (2 Cor 5:18, 19; Col 1:19-22), justification of sinners (Rom 4:25, 5:18), adoption into God’s family (Rm 8:15-17; Eph 1:4, 5), and victory over the power of Satan (Col 2:13-15; Heb 2:14). To put it simply, Jesus’ death removes the guilt, impurity, and condemnation of sin for those who believe on him, so that believers might enjoy restored fellowship with God and live righteous lives (Isa 53:10; Heb 1:3; Rm 8:1). Through Christ’s atonement we are adopted into God’s family and stand as co-heirs with Christ (Rom 8:15-17).</span><br style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;" /><br style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;" /><strong style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;">VI. Holy Spirit: The Mediator of God’s Grace</strong><br style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;" /><span style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;">God the Son is the full expression of God’s grace. But even though God’s grace expressed in Jesus is truly amazing, sinful humans cannot, without God’s help, comprehend or receive this grace. It is only through the mediating work of God the Holy Spirit that sinful humans can come to believe and receive the grace of God in Jesus Christ.</span><br style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;" /><br style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;" /><em style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px; position: relative;">A. Person of the Holy Spirit</em><br style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;" /><span style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;">The Holy Spirit is the third person of the triune godhead. Like God the Father and God the Son, God the Spirit is a distinct person (Jn 14:16, 15:26) who is fully divine (Gen 1:2; Ps 139:7) and who has personal qualities (Isa 11:2; Eph 4:30; Jn 16:8-11). Like the Father, the Holy Spirit is an invisible being lacking a physical body and human spatial-temporal limitations (Isa 40:28; Ps 102:25). But though invisible, the Spirit is an active and powerful force on earth (Judg 14:6; Lk 1:35).</span><br style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;" /><br style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;" /><em style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px; position: relative;">B. Work of the Holy Spirit</em><br style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;" /><span style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;">The works of the Holy Spirit are many and varied. The Spirit assisted in the creation of the world (Gen 1:2), and is now active in the world bearing testimony concerning Jesus (Jn 15:26), convicting people of sin and righteousness (Jn 16:7-11), and restraining evil (2 Thess 2:7). The Holy Spirit communicates the gospel to human hearts and persuades those hearts to believe the gospel (Jn 16:7-11, 13-15). In this way, the Holy Spirit acts as a mediator of God’s grace to humanity. He mediates grace by converting (Acts 10:44-46) empowering (1 Cor 2:4), directing (Acts 13:2-4), encouraging (Acts 9:31), uniting (Rm 6:1-7), and sanctifying (Rom 15:16) believers. The Holy Spirit also produces “spiritual fruit” in believers (Gal 5:22), and bestows upon them spiritual gifts (Rom 12:6-8; 1 Cor 12:4-11).</span><br style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;" /><br style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;" /><em style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px; position: relative;">C. Gifts of the Holy Spirit</em><br style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;" /><span style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;">The Holy Spirit graciously bestows upon believers abilities for ministry, known as “spiritual gifts.” Many of these gifts are mentioned in Scripture (Rom 12:6-8; 1 Cor 12:7-10, 28-30). The Holy Spirit gives spiritual gifts for the purposes of equipping believers for service (Eph 4:11, 12), of building up the Church (1 Cor 12:7), and of winning unbelievers to Christ (Eph 4:11; 1 Cor 14:22-25). As wonderful and impressive as spiritual gifts may be, they should only be seen as means to love and serve God and others (1 Cor 13:1-13).</span><br style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;" /><br style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;" /><strong style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;">VII. Salvation: The Fruit of God’s Grace</strong><br style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;" /><span style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;">The Holy Spirit enables sinful humans to believe the message of God’s grace in Jesus Christ. Those who believe in Jesus are thus saved from the power and condemnation of their sin. In the outworking of salvation in human lives, we see the fruits of God’s saving and sanctifying grace.</span><br style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;" /><br style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;" /><em style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px; position: relative;">A. Union with Christ</em><br style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;" /><span style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;">Those who place their faith in the gospel of Jesus Christ are united with Christ (Phil 2:1). This is a spiritual union, a close fellowship of spirits wherein the believer imitates Jesus (I Pet 2:21), obeys him (Jn 14:15), shares in his sufferings and triumphs (Rom 8:17), and is inwardly conformed to his likeness (Rom 8:29). This process of being united with Christ is progressive and can only occur through submission to the Holy Spirit (Rom 8:5-9; Gal 5:16). Through Christ we are new creations (2 Cor 5:17) and have a new standing in God’s family (Rom 8:17).</span><br style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;" /><br style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;" /><em style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px; position: relative;">B. Grace</em><br style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;" /><span style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;">Salvation in Jesus Christ comes only by God’s grace, through faith (Eph 2:8). This means that the person who trusts in the saving work of Jesus, and who commits herself to follow him, is saved from the penalty and power of her sin and reconciled to God (Jn 8:34-36; Eph 1:7; 2 Cor 5:18, 19). This salvation is in no way earned; God gives it freely to the one who believes (Eph 2:8, 9). In his grace, God imputes to the believer a righteousness that is not of her own doing or making (Rom 3:22-24). Saving grace, then, is God’s gracious and free act of bestowing salvation on those who do not deserve it and cannot earn it.</span><br style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;" /><br style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;" /><em style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px; position: relative;">C. Faith and Repentance</em><br style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;" /><span style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;">Salvation in Christ comes through faith, and not through good works. Saving faith has both a divine side and a human side. Any experience of saving faith among humans is a work of God, because God is the source of all faith (Eph 2:8; 2 Thess 2:13). From a human standpoint, saving faith requires an act of human will—a choice to trust Jesus and a commitment to follow him (Jn 8:12; Rom 10:9). Saving faith also necessarily involves repentance (Lk 13:3-5; 2 Cor 7:10), which is an inward turning away from sin, and a turning toward trust in and obedience to God (Lk 19:8, 9; Acts 19:17, 18).</span><br style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;" /><br style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;" /><em style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px; position: relative;">D. Regeneration</em><br style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;" /><span style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;">Sinful humanity is so thoroughly corrupted and controlled by its sin that it cannot turn away from that sin and turn to God, and thus be saved through His grace. What is necessary for salvation to occur is regeneration, a dramatic change of heart in the sinner (Jn 3:3; 2 Cor 5:17). God is the gracious initiator of such regeneration (Jn 1:13, 3:5-8); his regenerative initiative leads to saving faith and repentance (Eph 2:4, 5; 1 Jn 2:29). The effects of regeneration continue after salvation as the regenerate person lives in the Spirit and is led by the Spirit (Rom 8:4-14). It is God who initiates regeneration in us (John 6:44; 6:65).</span><br style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;" /><br style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;" /><em style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px; position: relative;">E. Justification</em><br style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;" /><span style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;">An important aspect of salvation is justification. Justification means God’s free and gracious act of declaring guilty persons righteous, on account of their faith in Jesus (Rom 4:16; 5:1), and on account of Jesus’ moral perfection and redemptive substitutionary death on the cross (Rom 3:23-26, 4:5-8, 5:18). As with all aspects of salvation, justification is a free and gracious gift from God to sinners, which cannot come through any human effort or works, but can come only through faith in the saving work of Jesus Christ.</span><br style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;" /><br style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;" /><em style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px; position: relative;">F. Sanctification</em><br style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;" /><span style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;">Sanctification is the progressive work of God and man that makes us more and more free from sin and like Christ in our lives. Sanctification touches all aspects of the person (2 Cor 3:18; Gal 5:22). It begins at conversion and continues throughout the life of the believer (2 Cor 3:18; Phil 3:12). Sanctification is not a human work; it is a gracious work of the indwelling Holy Spirit (Gal 3:2-5; 1 Cor 6:11; 1 Thess 5:23). However, believers may facilitate their own sanctification through pursuit of God’s holiness (Mt 5:6, 8; 1 Cor 9:24-27), resistance to Satan and temptation (Rom 12:21; 1 Jn 2:13), and obedience to the Spirit (Gal 5:16-25). Sanctification will not be completed in this life (Ecc 7:20; 1 Kings 8:46; Pro 20:9).</span><br style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;" /><br style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;" /><em style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px; position: relative;">G. Glorification</em><br style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;" /><span style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;">At Christ’s Second Coming, all believers in Christ (both dead and living) will receive from God “glorified” bodies (2 Cor 5:1-5; Phil 3:20, 21). In their glorification, believers will attain the perfection for which they were created—they will become immortal (1 Cor 15:54), morally pure (Phil 3:20, 21), and will be freed from all of the sufferings and evils of earthly life (Isa 60:9). Glorified persons will also enjoy intimate fellowship with God and Christ forever (Rev 19:6-9), and will experience eternal joy, peace, and rest (Ps 16:11; Isa 35:10).</span><br style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;" /><br style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;" /><strong style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;">VIII. The Church: The Ambassador of God’s Grace</strong><br style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;" /><span style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;">God’s Church is comprised of those who have been saved and are being sanctified by God’s grace. Central to the nature, mission, functions, and ordinances of the Church is its fundamental call by God to be an ambassador of his grace to the world.</span><br style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;" /><br style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;" /><em style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px; position: relative;">A. Nature, Mission and Function</em><br style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;" /><span style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;">Five statements summarize the nature of the Church. One, the Church is one: it is one body of believers, regardless of differences among denominations, congregations, and individuals (Jn 10:16, 17:20-26; Eph 4:4-6). Two, the Church is holy: it is called to be separated from what is profane and to be dedicated to the service of God (2 Thess 2:13; Col 3:12). Three, the Church is universal: wherever sincere believers gather in Jesus’ name to worship and serve their Lord, there the Church is (Mt 18:20). Four, the Church is apostolic: it is built on the foundation of the words and work of Jesus Christ, and upon the testimony of God’s prophets and apostles, as found in Holy Scripture (Eph 2:20). Five, the Church is God’s: Jesus is the head of the Church, and the Church’s one foundation is the grace of God expressed in Jesus Christ (1 Cor 3: 10, 11; Eph 1:22, 23, 2:22).</span><br style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;" /><br style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;" /><span style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;">The mission of the Church is summarized by Jesus in his Great Commission (Mt 28:18-20). The primary reason the Church exists is to help people become disciples of Jesus (Mt 28:19). To be a disciple is to be a fully devoted follower. Discipleship is a process which includes communicating the gospel message of God’s grace to all peoples (Mt 28:19), baptizing converts into the name of the Triune God (Mt 28:19), and instructing believers in Jesus in the way of faith and obedience to God (Mt 28:20). Important functions of the Church which support this mission include worshiping (Acts 2:46, 47), preaching (Acts 5:42), teaching (Acts 11:26), discipling (Acts 14:21, 22), and serving (Eph 4:11, 12).</span><br style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;" /><br style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;" /><em style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px; position: relative;">B. Officers of the Church</em><br style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;" /><span style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;">A church officer is someone who has been publicly recognized as having the right and responsibility to perform certain functions on behalf of and for the benefit of the whole church. This would include the pastor, deacons and elders (with titles varying from church to church).</span><br style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;" /><br style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;" /><span style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;">In his epistles, the Apostle Paul mentions various types of officers within the New Testament Church (Rom 12:6-8; 1 Cor 12:28). What seems most important about a biblical view of church leadership are the following: (1) The Church needs leaders to guide, correct, encourage, and care for it (Acts 13:1; Eph 4:11, 12), (2) Some people are gifted by the Spirit for leadership roles, while others are not (1 Cor 12:28-30), (3) In addition to being appropriately gifted, leaders must also be spiritually mature (1 Tim 3:1-7; Titus 1:6-9), and (4) Leaders are called, first and foremost, to be servants of others (Mt 20:26-28).</span><br style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;" /><br style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;" /><em style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px; position: relative;">C. Ordinances of the Church</em><br style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;" /><span style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;">There are two ordinances of the Church instituted by Jesus: baptism and the Lord’s Supper (Mt 26:26-29, 28:19). Baptism symbolizes the graces of repentance and forgiveness (Acts 2:38), and personal identification with Christ (Rom 6:3-8). Baptism is best administered to those who give a believable profession of faith in Jesus Christ. The Greek word baptizo means to plunge, dip, immerse something in water. People were baptized by John in the river Jordan (Mark 1:5) and Jesus came up out of the water (Mk 1:10). When Philip had shared the gospel with the Ethiopian eunuch (Acts 8:36) clearly neither of them thought that sprinkling or pouring water from a drinking container was adequate. The both went down into the water (Acts 8:38-39) and not just near the water. Further, there is deep symbolism of union with Christ in his death, burial and resurrection through baptism by immersion (Rm 6:3-4; Col 2:12).</span><br style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;" /><br style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;" /><span style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;">My view on baptism is that baptism is important, but it does not confer salvation. Devoted Christians have found themselves in both the infant and confessing baptism camps, and they were clearly all Christians, and were all reading the same Bible. I do <b><u><i>strongly</i></u></b> prefer a believer’s baptism, and for that reason we did not baptize our infant son. I think we are to honor Christ and follow in his example. In my studies I found it clear in the examples cited in Scripture that the primary mode of baptism (nearly exclusive) is a confessional baptism, but I'll allow that there is room for infant baptism (examples of whole households being baptized within Scripture), and there are further arguments for the covenant relationship related to baptizing infant. I think this is a subject worthy of study, but not one worth causing heated division within the body of believers. But so I'm clear, I am baptistic in my convictions on this matter.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><br style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;" /><span style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;">The Lord’s Supper symbolizes the new covenant of forgiveness and salvation Jesus Christ has made with all who trust in him (Mt 26:26-28). To partake of the Lord’s Supper is to express thanksgiving for, identification with, and dependence on the gracious atoning death of Jesus (1 Cor 10:16; 11:26). The Lord’s Supper should be offered to all who believe on Jesus Christ; however, only those who believe on Jesus and are penitent of their sins should participate in this ordinance (1 Cor 10: 21, 22, and 11:27-29).</span><br style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;" /><br style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;" /><br style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;" /><strong style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;">IX. The Last Things: The Perfection of God’s Grace</strong><br style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;" /><span style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;">In his infinite wisdom and goodness, God has appointed a time when he will bring our fallen and suffering world to a close. At that time, the perfection of God’s grace will be seen in his victory over Satan and in his salvation of those who trust God.</span><br style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;" /><br style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;" /><em style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px; position: relative;">A. Death</em><br style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;" /><span style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;">It is the inescapable destiny of every human being to die (Heb 9:27). The timing of each person’s death is in God’s hands (Deut 32:39). Death is a separation from earthly existence (1 Tim 6:7), in which a person’s physical body dies and decays, while his or her spirit (soul) lives on (Eccles 12:7).</span><br style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;" /><br style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;" /><em style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px; position: relative;">B. The Second Coming</em><br style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;" /><span style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;">Jesus Christ will one day return to earth. At Christ’s Second Coming all believers will receive glorified bodies and through God’s grace will enter their eternal rest in heaven (Phil 3:20). At his Second Coming Jesus will gather all believers to himself (Mt 24:31), will destroy evil forever (Rev 19:19-21), and will judge every soul according to the life it has lived on earth (Mt 16:27).</span><br style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;" /><br style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;" /><em style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px; position: relative;">C. Resurrection</em><br style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;" /><span style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;">At Christ’s Second Coming there will be a universal resurrection of the dead (Jn 5:28, 29). In this resurrection, all souls (both resurrected and raptured) will receive new bodies (Phil 3:20), and will be brought before the judgment seat of Christ to give an account for how they have lived their lives (Rev 20:12-15). Those persons who have lived righteous lives through grace in Christ will be rewarded with eternal life with God in heaven (Mt 25:31, 34), while those persons who have lived unrighteous lives apart from Christ will be punished with eternal separation from God in hell (Mt 13:41, 42).</span><br style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;" /><br style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;" /><em style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px; position: relative;">D. Millennial and Tribulational Views</em><br style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;" /><span style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;">I am not completely convinced and convicted to fall into one category concerning the order of events of the Second Coming, and for several reasons. Partially because I am not as well informed as to the pros and cons of the various positions as I hope to eventually be. Additionally, the biblical passages which speak of events surrounding the Second Coming appear highly metaphorical and are notoriously difficult to interpret. Third, Jesus himself says that no one knows when it is that he will return (Mk 14:31-35; Mt 24:36-44). What matters most about the Second Coming is that it is the time of God’s Final Judgment, a time for which every person should prepare him or herself (Mt 16:27; Rev 20:12-15). If forced to pick a position I would call myself a historic premillennialist (Rev 20:1-6).</span><br style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;" /><br style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;" /><em style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px; position: relative;">E. Eternal States</em><br style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;" /><span style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;">Following the Final Judgment, all souls will be taken by God to their final reward, or eternal state where Christ will be our judge (2 Tim 4:1). The eternal state of those who have lived righteous lives through grace is eternal life with God in heaven (Mt 25:31, 34), a place of joy, peace, and rest (Ps 16:11; Isa 35:10). Those persons who have lived unrighteous lives will be eternally separated from God in hell (Mt 13:41, 42; Rev 20:11-15), a place of torment, anguish, and regret (Mt 8:12; Lk 16:19-28; Rev 14:9-11). Although God will certainly send to hell those who have lived wickedly, we can be assured he will judge every soul justly according to the light it has been given (1 Pt 1:17; Lk 12:48; Jn 9:41, 15:22). Hell is a place of eternal conscious punishment for the wicked (Mt 25:41, 46; Lk 16:22-24, 28; Rev 14:9-11).</span><br style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;" /><br style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;" /><br style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;" /><br style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;" /><strong style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;">My faith story</strong><br style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;" /><br style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;" /><span style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;">I spent the first portion of my life knowing there was a God, without having much knowledge about that God, or having a personal relationship with that God. I always knew that Jesus was something that should be important to me; I just did not understand that it was of greatest importance. I had been living what I thought was a good moral life, and thought that paired with my years in church and Sunday school had me covered.</span><br style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;" /><br style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;" /><span style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;">The theme of my faith journey is that God works in unexpected ways, and one of the ways in which he was working in my life was I was placed with a strong Christian as my roommate in college my freshman year. Through him and some of our close friends, I began to understand that I did not have the relationship with Jesus that I needed to have. Their faith and support brought me into a relationship with Jesus and fostered in me an interest that has not since been quelled. I began to ask questions of them. I dusted off my Bible and began to read. For the first time in my life I was excited to learn about the Bible and Jesus Christ. I went on my first mission trip just a month after coming to Christ, and followed this with a month long missions trip to the same location in Mexico the following school year.</span><br style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;" /><br style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;" /><span style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;">I spent the next six years learning and growing in faith. Early on in those years I was not as focused on my faith as I wish I have been, but I was going to church regularly, and usually was part of a Bible study or small group, though I wasn’t serving with any regularity. When I moved to Mitchell, S.D., and began to attend Northridge Baptist Church, I entered into a period of fantastic growth in my personal faith. I was challenged by the teaching in sermons. I joined the praise and worship team, something I would never have imagined previously (my parents didn’t believe it until they saw me sing). I joined a Men’s Bible study that taught me volumes on being a Christian, friend, and leader of a family. I was also a member of a small group Bible study while at Northridge. I could not find enough time in the day to learn and grow in my personal faith. It was during this period that I began to listen to God's call on my life towards ministry. I also worked with the High School youth group for a couple of years while at Northridge Baptist, filling in in-between youth pastors. This gave me my first real taste of teaching about and through the Bible.</span><br style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;" /><br style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;" /><span style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;">I left Northridge Baptist and this season of ministry to enter full time into Seminary at Bethel Theological Seminary, Arden Hills, MN. I have completed a Master’s of Divinity in the Greek Track with a focus on Transformational Leadership. While in seminary I grew enormously spiritually. I was regularly challenged to re-evaluate what I believed, and forced to think through many areas of theology I had never approached before. It was a greatly challenging and enlightening time. Some who go to seminary find their enthusiasm for spiritual things waning by the conclusion of their education, but not me. My faith is far stronger, and deeper because of my experiences in seminary. </span><br style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;" /><br style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;" /><span style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;">Seminary was also a great training ground for ministry for me. I had the opportunity to be the teaching assistant for the Preaching department for 2.5 years (serving under Bob Merritt of Eagle Brook Church, Phil Print of Crossroads Church, and Dan Rotach), and then spent another year as the teaching assistant in the Transformational Leadership department (serving under Justin Irving). The leaders in these departments were greatly influential in my personal development. I also served on the Student Senate for three years, and was the President of the Student Senate for school year 2005-06.</span><br style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;" /><br style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;" /><span style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;">Following completion of Seminary I began to serve at Crossroads Church and had again the wonderful opportunity to learn under some incredible men of God. Having served as the teaching assistant to Pastor Phil Print while I was in seminary gave me the opportunity to see the interworking of this large church first as an outsider, then as an insider. I had the opportunity to write study lessons and daily devotionals for some church wide projects. I continued to grow in faith and leadership as a small-group coach as well as a small group leader. I had the amazing opportunity to be part of the team that transitioned the church from being a church with small groups to a church of small groups. In May we had something like 150 members in small groups, and when we re-launched the following September we were just shy of 700! This was a great opportunity to see God’s blessing first hand.</span><br style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;" /><br style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;" /><span style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;">We were “blessed” in March 2008 to be called to a small church in Southern, MN. I say that a bit tongue in cheek because coming out of seminary I knew that I wanted to be on staff at a multi-staff church in a large city and that I did not want to be a Senior Pastor, and my long term goal was to be an executive pastor. Thankfully God knows best, and indeed He blessed me with an opportunity to do everything I didn’t want to do – I’m a solo pastor in a small church in a small town that I had never heard of before applying for the position! And indeed God has blessed me and my family in mighty ways through this experience. I have experienced tremendous personal spiritual growth through my having to preach roughly 55 times a year the past 7+ years (that includes holidays, special services, weddings & funerals). Additionally, I’ve been leading & teaching (and team teaching) Jr. High and Sr. High youth groups and Bible studies for adults, so my time in the Word is greater than ever before! Thankfully God is God and I am not, He knows best.</span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;">I have recently had the joy of accepting a call to become senior pastor at Glory Baptist Church in Aitkin, MN (north of Lake Mille Lacs). In 2016 we will be transitioning our ministry there and are thankful for God's continued provision, protection, empowerment, and blessing!</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;">I continue to grow through personal study, study related to ministry, and through various church conferences. I regularly listen to other preachers’ sermons to allow them to feed me, teach me and challenge me. I read regularly to continue to add to my knowledge base. I also read from a wide range of blogs and online resources to keep current with trends in our churches and our culture. I practice personal devotions from the Bible, and am growing spiritually with my wife as well. I am still being formed, am not where I would like to be, but am amazed at where I have come from. God is indeed gracious.</span><br style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;" /><br style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;" /><br style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;" /><span style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;">If I were to sum my faith up in one sentence it would be: </span><span style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;">I am a Christ follower who is seeking to serve God, hoping to bring Him glory, desiring to be used by God, and thankful God is great enough to use me in spite of me. </span><br style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;" /><br style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;" /><span style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;">My Bedrock Beliefs:</span><br style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;" /><span style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;">That Christ is my personal Lord and Savior and is the only solution to my sin problem.</span><br style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;" /><span style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;">That we need to honor God in everything we do.</span><br style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;" /><span style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;">That people matter to God.</span><br style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;" /><span style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;">The Bible is God’s Word.</span><br style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;" /><span style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;">That the local church is the hope of the world.</span><br style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;" /><span style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21.8182px;">That the truths of Scripture should be communicated in meaningful and relevant ways.</span></span>Chris Meirosehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05717903860701408008noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8657772.post-70681707300294583492015-10-10T07:50:00.000-05:002015-10-10T07:50:00.310-05:00Eight Reasons Many Churches Are Living in the 1980s<br />
Interesting read <a href="http://thomrainer.com/2015/10/eight-reasons-many-churches-are-living-in-the-1980s/" target="_blank">by the always read-worthy Thom Rainer</a>.<br />
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<span style="font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px;">Nine out of ten churches in America are either declining, or they are growing so slowly they are not keeping up with the growth rate of the community in which they are located.</span></h1>
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It’s a long sentence. Read it again carefully. Soak it in. Across America 90 percent of the churches are losing ground in their respective communities. Most of them are declining. Many of them will close.</div>
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As I have worked with thousands of churches over the past three decades, I have noticed something fascinating, yet disturbing, about many of these churches. They are still acting like it’s the 1980s. The world has passed them by. They are deemed irrelevant by members of their communities. They are frozen in a time warp.</div>
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Why has this tragedy fallen on so many churches? Though I don’t want to oversimplify the issue, I see at least eight reasons for this crisis.</div>
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<li style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; list-style-position: outside; list-style-type: decimal; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><strong style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">They are trying to shelter themselves from culture. </strong>In the 1980s, congregations were typically part of the mainstream culture. They were accepted in most places, and embraced in some. That is not the culture of today. Many church members use their churches as a getaway from the realities they don’t want to face.</li>
<li style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; list-style-position: outside; list-style-type: decimal; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><strong style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Programs were easy answers. </strong>The vast majority of churches in the 1980s were program-driven. If there was a perceived need, they would order a resource that best solved that need. Many churches today still think they can get quick fixes from programs.</li>
<li style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; list-style-position: outside; list-style-type: decimal; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><strong style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Churches largely catered to the needs of church members in the 1980s.</strong>We thus created a culture of membership that is me-driven. Many church members do not want to make the sacrifices necessary to reach our communities and culture today. They are demanding their own needs and preferences to be the priority of their churches.</li>
<li style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; list-style-position: outside; list-style-type: decimal; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><strong style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Change was more incremental. </strong>If your church is stuck in the 1980s, it does not have to worry about the rapid pace of change today. Members can pretend like their church does not need to change despite the massive upheavals of change in the world.</li>
<li style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; list-style-position: outside; list-style-type: decimal; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><strong style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Church growth was easier. </strong>In the 1980s, a number of people would visit our churches without much effort on the members’ part. One church member told me recently, “If lost people want to come to our church, they know where we are.” Sigh.</li>
<li style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; list-style-position: outside; list-style-type: decimal; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><strong style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Denominations provided solutions. </strong>Not all churches in the 1980s belonged to a denomination, but many did. And many members expected the denominational organizations to guide them and resource them. Denominations work best today in partnership with churches, but too many church members want to return to the paradigm of the 1980s.</li>
<li style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; list-style-position: outside; list-style-type: decimal; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><strong style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Others did evangelism for the members in the 1980s. </strong>Evangelism was the responsibility of the pastor or the denomination or a few people in a program. Church members paid others to do the work they were supposed to do. Some church members today are more concerned about their worship style preference than lost people who need to hear the gospel.</li>
<li style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; list-style-position: outside; list-style-type: decimal; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><strong style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Some churches would rather die than to get out of the comfort of their 1980’s paradigm. </strong>I feel certain they will do just that.</li>
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What do you think of these issues of time-warp churches? Let me hear from you.</div>
Chris Meirosehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05717903860701408008noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8657772.post-2425492377622482902015-10-08T09:46:00.000-05:002015-10-08T09:46:00.044-05:00 Ministry at the Cost of Discipleship<br />
<a href="http://thev3movement.org/2015/03/ministry-at-the-cost-of-discipleship/" target="_blank">Great article by Tim Catchim over at V3.</a><br />
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As I talk with various church leaders, I am discovering a common misunderstanding about the difference between ministry and disciple making.</div>
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Describing the difference between disciple making and ministry is kind of like describing the difference between a square and a rectangle. A square can be a rectangle, but a rectangle is not necessarily a square. They both have four right angles and four sides. Which is why they are often lumped into one another. However, only the square has four sides of equal length.</div>
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Applying this to ministry and discipleship, you can do ministry without making disciples, but you can’t make disciples without doing ministry, or at least not the way Jesus made disciples.</div>
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Ministry wasn’t enough for Jesus</h2>
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Think about it like this: Jesus could have taught every parable, healed the sick, raised the dead, embarrassed the Pharisees, died for our sins, rose from the dead, and ascended back to the Father, all by himself. However, if it weren’t for the 12 disciples, we probably would have never heard anything about it!</div>
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The truth of that matter is this: Jesus wanted to build more than a dynamic ministry, he wanted to build a movement. In order to build a movement that outlives the founder, a transfer has to be made from the founder to the followers. In other words, you have to make disciples. Ministry is not enough.</div>
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Movements</h2>
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Some churches have dynamic ministry going on, which is great! God will move when we obediently serve people. But without disciple making, it will never be become a movement. In fact, without disciple making the scope and impact of your ministry will be limited. After all, who is going to lead those ministries? Who is going to lead the people that those ministries reach? Without making disciples, you will not be able to develop leaders, and without leaders, ministry can only go so far.</div>
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Ministry or Disciple-Making?</h2>
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So how do you know if you are making disciples instead of just doing ministry? Here are a few questions to ask yourself:</div>
<ol style="border: 0px; color: #1f0909; font-family: 'PT Serif'; font-size: 16px; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 24px; list-style: none; margin: -1em 0px 1.5em 1.5em; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<li style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; list-style-position: outside; list-style-type: decimal; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Who in your church is making disciples? What are their names? If you can’t name the people who are making disciples, it’s probably not happening.</li>
<li style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; list-style-position: outside; list-style-type: decimal; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Do those you have named as disciple makers know that they are making disciples? If they don’t know they are making disciples, it’s probably not happening.</li>
<li style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; list-style-position: outside; list-style-type: decimal; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">What are the names of the people who are being discipled by those disciple makers? If the disciple makers can’t name the people they are discipling, then discipleship is probably not happening.</li>
<li style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; list-style-position: outside; list-style-type: decimal; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Do the people who are being discipled by those disciple makers know they are being discipled by them? If not, then discipleship is probably not happening. The 12 disciples knew they were being discipled by Jesus.</li>
<li style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; list-style-position: outside; list-style-type: decimal; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">How do you know when the one who is making disciples has actually made a disciple? If you don’t know how to answer this question, then discipleship is likely not happening. Jesus said in John 17 that he had finished the work the Father had given him to do. He knew when his work with the 12 was completed.</li>
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If you don’t know how to answer these questions, then you are likely not making disciples the way that Jesus made disciples.</div>
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After all Jesus, was the best disciple maker…ever. It’s hard to improve on what he did.</div>
Chris Meirosehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05717903860701408008noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8657772.post-64558615748894410282015-10-06T21:43:00.006-05:002015-10-06T21:43:54.940-05:00When Your Spouse Lets You Down<a href="http://www.familylife.com/articles/topics/marriage/staying-married/resolving-conflict/when-your-spouse-lets-you-down?utm_source=FamilyLife+Main+email+list&utm_campaign=dfd68e0e28-Marriage_Memo_10_05_15&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_55c1003dec-dfd68e0e28-36728341" target="_blank">This great article comes from Family Life - Canada.</a><br />
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<span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b>Seven steps to letting go of </b><b>hurt and disappointment.</b></span></div>
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by Dr. Dave Currie with Glen Hoos</div>
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"Forgive and forget." It's a well-worn cliché—one that is easier to say than to practice.</div>
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If you're married, you've been there. Your spouse has said or done something that has wounded you. It may be something small, or it may be a major betrayal. Either way, your pride screams at you to take revenge. If you don't strike back immediately, you at least want to keep this "guilt card" in your pocket, to be pulled out at a later date: "Oh yeah, well what about the time when you ..."</div>
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When we've been offended, the last thing we want to do is to let it go. And yet, if our desire is to have a healthy, lasting marriage, that is exactly what we've got to do. Here are seven suggestions to keep in mind when your spouse lets you down:</div>
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<strong style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">1. Agree on a time to talk.</strong> If you need to talk to your spouse about something, don't just corner him or her and launch in unexpectedly. That is a recipe for hostility. Instead, agree together on a time to discuss the issue. That gives each of you a chance to think about it in advance, which will result in a more productive discussion.</div>
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<strong style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">2. Handle negative emotions responsibly.</strong> When we react emotionally, we often say and do things that we later regret. In many cases, it is best to delay the discussion until you've settled down, gained a proper perspective, and prayed about your attitude. This will allow you to go into it looking for a solution, rather than just being consumed with your own hurt.</div>
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As partners, you need to respect each other's need to "take five." If your spouse needs to wait a few minutes, or even a day or two, to cool down, don't press the issue. This should not be used as an excuse to avoid the discussion entirely, but it is better to take some time to clear your head than to allow your emotions to take you somewhere that you don't want to go.</div>
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<strong style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">3. Deal with one issue at a time.</strong> Remember that "guilt card" we mentioned earlier? Once you're into the discussion, you will be tempted to pull it out. Soon, your conversation has deteriorated into a long list of offenses, as you try to outdo one another with everything that the other person has ever done wrong. This only intensifies the conflict and deepens the divide between you. It can also be overwhelming to be presented with a massive list of things that need to change. Instead of being motivating, it's discouraging.</div>
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Instead, be content to solve one problem at a time. It is much better to make serious headway in one area of your relationship than to simply rehearse everything that needs fixing.</div>
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<strong style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">4. Be clear about your perspective.</strong> Give each other some uninterrupted time to share your concerns. If you are just trading barbs back and forth, neither of you will really be hearing the other—you'll be too busy thinking about your next comeback.</div>
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When it is your time to talk, try to help your mate understand your hurt or frustration. Help them to see why their actions and words had the impact that they did. Likewise, the offending spouse should have the opportunity to explain their words or behavior. It could be that you have misinterpreted their motives, and when this is cleared up it goes a long way toward solving the problem.</div>
<div style="border: 0px; color: #1f0909; font-family: 'PT Serif'; font-size: 16px; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 1.5em; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<strong style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">5. Hold your relationship more dear than this issue.</strong> Sometimes we get so wrapped up in our feelings or our "rights" that we lose sight of the bigger picture. People joke about marriages breaking up over toothpaste and toilet paper disputes, but it really happens! Remember that your relationship is the primary concern. You may have some issues to sort out, but you still love one another—and loving one another often means letting the other person be right.</div>
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<strong style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">6. Walk in an attitude of forgiveness.</strong> If you are going to live with this person for the next 20 ... 30 ... 50 years, you are going to have to forgive one another many times. You cannot afford not to forgive. Unforgiveness not only hurts your spouse, it also hurts you! As Corrie ten Boom said, "Forgiveness is setting the prisoner free, only to find out that the prisoner was me."</div>
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This brings us back to the issue of forgiving and forgetting. In truth, there are some hurts that you will never be able to forget. What is more important is that we choose to let it go. Proverbs 17:9 says, "He who conceals a transgression seeks love, but he who repeats a matter separates intimate friends." Forgiveness entails giving up your right to punish your spouse—whether through direct retaliation or just letting bitterness fester.</div>
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Over the past year, I have discovered the value of "advance forgiveness." I make a conscious decision that, the next time my wife, Donalyn, offends me, I am going to forgive her. Then, when it happens, I remember that I have already decided to forgive her, so there is no point in making a big deal out of it now. This really helps to take my critical edge off.</div>
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<strong style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">7. Forgive as Christ forgave you. </strong>Colossians 3:13 says, "[Bear] one another, and [forgive] each other, whoever has a complaint against anyone; just as the Lord forgave you, so also should you."</div>
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And just how does the Lord forgive us? Fully. Unconditionally. Willingly. Time and time again.</div>
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This kind of forgiveness is supernatural; it is more than we can do on our own. Particularly if your spouse has betrayed you in a major way, you may need to ask God for the ability to let go of the hurt and forgive them from your heart. But as you trust God to give you His strength and love, He will help you to forgive ... even when your spouse has really let you down.</div>
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If you have never experienced God's complete, unconditional forgiveness, know this: God loves you deeply. There is no sin that is so great that He is unwilling to forgive you, if you would just come to Him. If this is the desire of your heart, pray this prayer:</div>
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<em style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Dear God, I need You in my marriage, and in my life. I acknowledge that I have sinned against You by directing my own life, and that I cannot go on any further without Your help and guidance—and above all, Your forgiveness. I thank You for sending Your Son, Jesus, to die on the cross to pay for my sins. I now accept that sacrifice and invite Jesus to take His place on the throne of my life. Fill me with Your Holy Spirit and empower me to live the life You have called me to. Thank You for forgiving me. Amen.</em></div>
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Chris Meirosehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05717903860701408008noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8657772.post-72563661127819341192015-09-01T00:15:00.004-05:002015-09-01T00:15:35.786-05:00<span style="background-color: white;">The subject of discipleship has been coming up frequently in my church and in my life recently, so I'm capturing <a href="http://ht.ly/RsK32" target="_blank">these thoughts here from Robby Gallaty</a>.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white;"><b>5 Components of a Discipling Relationship</b></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;">We could say that discipleship is intentionally equipping believers with the Word of God through accountable relationships empowered by the Holy Spirit in order to replicate faithful followers of Christ. When people become disciples, they learn what Jesus said and live out what Jesus did (Matthew 28:19).</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white;">Did you catch the five components of a discipling relationship?</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white;"><b>A disciple is:</b></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><b>1. Intentional about equipping others for the work of ministry</b></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><b>2. Studying/obeying the Word of God</b></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><b>3. Accountable to other believers</b></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><b>4. Empowered by the Holy Spirit</b></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><b>5. Reproducing what he was taught with others.</b></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white;">One last word on this subject: It’s important to contextualize the process. A “one-size fits all” approach will not work. Discipleship in Chattanooga is very different than discipleship in San Francisco or even the Dominican Republic.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white;">After preaching an evangelistic crusade, D.L. Moody was met after the service by a man who disapproved of his evangelistic strategy. Moody responded, “It’s evident that you don’t agree with my evangelism method. What’s your evangelistic model for winning the lost?” The man replied, “I don’t have a particular method.” Moody said, “I think I’ll stick with mine.” Regardless of which model, material, or manner you affirm, decide on a plan and stick with it.</span>Chris Meirosehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05717903860701408008noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8657772.post-18049539118011889762015-07-29T13:31:00.001-05:002015-07-29T13:31:53.935-05:00Oven Fried Chicken Wings<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqHBJvQ54ApEoPsq5QmvdDHrku7pCoGa0UAVcK9GRurLcPYcWjxnIN-eGhqFKQoEbYHQtbnxAgC0f0R3tZlEIPHKGA5jGhn_n8-SNUorJIkztRnorFSXe1OJUf-cpYfrr29rHb/s1600/FranksWings.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqHBJvQ54ApEoPsq5QmvdDHrku7pCoGa0UAVcK9GRurLcPYcWjxnIN-eGhqFKQoEbYHQtbnxAgC0f0R3tZlEIPHKGA5jGhn_n8-SNUorJIkztRnorFSXe1OJUf-cpYfrr29rHb/s320/FranksWings.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Some techniques from Cook's Country below that help get crisper oven wings.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">To get crispy chicken wings without frying, baking powder is the secret weapon; it helps break down the proteins within the skin, and aids in browning. After tossing the wings with baking powder and salt, start them in a low oven on a wire rack for air circulation. This is todry the skin and begin rendering the fat. Then turn up the oven to finish roasting the wings and crisping the skin. A coating of your favorite sauce and the wings are ready to be served.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">SERVES 4</span></h4>
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<span style="color: #595142; letter-spacing: 1px; line-height: 18px; text-transform: uppercase;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">INGREDIENTS</span></span></div>
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<li itemprop="ingredients" style="background-image: none; background-position: -10px -1721px; background-repeat: no-repeat; display: block; line-height: 17px; margin: 0px 0px 1em; overflow: auto; padding: 0px;"><span style="float: left; font-weight: bold; line-height: 1.6em; margin-right: 7.41249990463257px; min-height: 1.6em; text-align: right; width: 69.25px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">4</span></span><span style="float: left; font-stretch: normal; margin-left: 7.41249990463257px; width: 521.900024414063px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">pounds chicken wings, halved at joints, wingtips discarded</span></span></li>
<li itemprop="ingredients" style="background-image: none; background-position: -10px -1721px; background-repeat: no-repeat; display: block; line-height: 17px; margin: 0px 0px 1em; overflow: auto; padding: 0px;"><span style="float: left; font-weight: bold; line-height: 1.6em; margin-right: 7.41249990463257px; min-height: 1.6em; text-align: right; width: 69.25px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">2</span></span><span style="float: left; font-stretch: normal; margin-left: 7.41249990463257px; width: 521.900024414063px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">tablespoons baking powder</span></span></li>
<li itemprop="ingredients" style="background-image: none; background-position: -10px -1721px; background-repeat: no-repeat; display: block; line-height: 17px; margin: 0px 0px 1em; overflow: auto; padding: 0px;"><span style="float: left; font-weight: bold; line-height: 1.6em; margin-right: 7.41249990463257px; min-height: 1.6em; text-align: right; width: 69.25px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">3/4</span></span><span style="float: left; font-stretch: normal; margin-left: 7.41249990463257px; width: 521.900024414063px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">teaspoon salt</span></span></li>
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<span style="float: left; font-stretch: normal; margin-left: 7.41249990463257px; width: 521.900024414063px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">(and whatever wing sauce you choose to finish)</span></span></blockquote>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">INSTRUCTIONS</span></h4>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong>1. </strong>Adjust oven racks to upper-middle and lower-middle positions and heat oven to 250 degrees. Set wire rack in aluminum foil–lined rimmed baking sheet. Pat wings dry with paper towels and transfer to 1-gallon zipper-lock bag. Combine baking powder and salt, add to wings, seal bag, and toss to evenly coat.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong>2. </strong>Arrange wings, skin side up, in single layer on prepared wire rack. Bake wings on lower-middle oven rack for 30 minutes. Move wings to upper-middle rack, increase oven temperature to 425 degrees, and roast until wings are golden brown and crispy, 40 to 50 minutes longer, rotating sheet halfway through baking. Remove sheet from oven and let stand for 5 minutes. Transfer wings to bowl with wing sauce of your choice, toss to coat, and serve.</span></div>
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<b style="color: #595142; letter-spacing: 1px; text-align: center; text-transform: uppercase;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Classic Buffalo sauce is made with Frank’s RedHot Sauce.</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">INGREDIENTS</span></h4>
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<li itemprop="ingredients" style="background-image: none; background-position: -10px -1721px; background-repeat: no-repeat; display: block; margin: 0px 0px 1em; overflow: auto; padding: 0px;"><span style="float: left; font-weight: bold; line-height: 1.6em; margin-right: 7.41249990463257px; min-height: 1.6em; text-align: right; width: 69.25px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1/2</span></span><span style="float: left; font-stretch: normal; margin-left: 7.41249990463257px; width: 521.900024414063px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">cup hot sauce</span></span></li>
<li itemprop="ingredients" style="background-image: none; background-position: -10px -1721px; background-repeat: no-repeat; display: block; margin: 0px 0px 1em; overflow: auto; padding: 0px;"><span style="float: left; font-weight: bold; line-height: 1.6em; margin-right: 7.41249990463257px; min-height: 1.6em; text-align: right; width: 69.25px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">4</span></span><span style="float: left; font-stretch: normal; margin-left: 7.41249990463257px; width: 521.900024414063px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">tablespoons unsalted butter, melted</span></span></li>
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</section>Chris Meirosehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05717903860701408008noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8657772.post-63488855091969561252015-06-26T09:48:00.004-05:002015-06-26T09:49:40.454-05:00Preach repentance: It takes courage and kindness<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKOI8iVj2hOftICIbmw_zbRNCE2MVXMc7GIchJ1lnSEdWUXgI0Af1eesQtDV3iNB0gS6CIrHdzYLIUf8naW4rKchnM6gmM9y7SVD9Iz09FeAa2RbZjFwvXOoOieFUTk0Ij7IVH/s1600/prayer-repentance.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKOI8iVj2hOftICIbmw_zbRNCE2MVXMc7GIchJ1lnSEdWUXgI0Af1eesQtDV3iNB0gS6CIrHdzYLIUf8naW4rKchnM6gmM9y7SVD9Iz09FeAa2RbZjFwvXOoOieFUTk0Ij7IVH/s320/prayer-repentance.jpg" width="186" /></a></div>
I read this today:<br />
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<span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>Jesus told us we would have hard times. He never promised us a prosperity gospel. He said we would face opposition, but he said he would be with us. If we are going to be faithful to his gospel, we must preach repentance—even when that repentance is culturally unwelcome. And we must preach that any sinner can be forgiven through the blood of Jesus Christ. That means courage, and that means kindness. </b></span></blockquote>
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- <a href="http://www.thegospelcoalition.org/article/same-sex-marriage-and-the-future" target="_blank">From TGC</a>.</div>
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Chris Meirosehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05717903860701408008noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8657772.post-33490677267792335932015-06-23T12:54:00.001-05:002015-06-23T12:54:51.693-05:00Is your church sick? Here's some symptoms to watch for.Great food for thought blog post by Thom Ranier today. <a href="http://thomrainer.com/2015/06/anatomy-of-a-sick-church-10-symptoms-to-watch/" target="_blank">Click through for the original post</a>.<br />
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Anatomy of a Sick Church – 10 Symptoms to Watch</h1>
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There are certain metrics and issues physicians check when we go to the doctor. They want to check our blood pressure and temperature. They do blood tests to see if there are any warning signs. They are looking for symptoms that might indicate real problems exist.</div>
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After working with churches for thirty years, I too look for symptoms that might point to greater concerns. The symptoms are not necessarily the problem; they simply provide warnings or cautions of potential issues.</div>
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While there are many potential symptoms of a sick church, I have found ten to be consistently common. These ten are not listed in any particular order:</div>
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<li style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; list-style-position: outside; list-style-type: decimal; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><strong style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Declining worship attendance. </strong>Surprisingly, the majority of church leaders do not monitor worship attendance. I advise leaders to compare each month’s average worship attendance to the same month of previous years.</li>
<li style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; list-style-position: outside; list-style-type: decimal; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><strong style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Decline in frequency of attendance of church members. </strong>This symptom is the number one explanation for attendance decline in most churches. Members are not as committed as they once were. Their waning love for their church is reflected in their declining frequency in worship attendance.</li>
<li style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; list-style-position: outside; list-style-type: decimal; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><strong style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Lack of joy and vibrancy in the worship service. </strong>Obviously, this symptom is subjective. It is still, however, very important. Most people can sense when a worship service is vibrant, lukewarm, or dead.</li>
<li style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; list-style-position: outside; list-style-type: decimal; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><strong style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Little evangelistic fruit.</strong> As a general rule, a healthy church will reach at least one non-Christian for every 20 in worship attendance. A church with a worship attendance of 200, for example, should see at least ten new Christians a year.</li>
<li style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; list-style-position: outside; list-style-type: decimal; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><strong style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Low community impact.</strong> In my consultations, I attempt to find clear indicators that a church is making a difference in its respective community. I ask both church leaders and community members for clear examples and indicators.</li>
<li style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; list-style-position: outside; list-style-type: decimal; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><strong style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">More meetings than ministry.</strong> A sick church will meet about what they should do rather than do it. Some churches have more committees than conversions.</li>
<li style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; list-style-position: outside; list-style-type: decimal; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><strong style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Acrimonious business meetings.</strong> Christians can and do disagree. Sick churches have meetings where the disagreements reflect obvious bitterness and anger.</li>
<li style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; list-style-position: outside; list-style-type: decimal; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><strong style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Very few guests in worship services.</strong> A vibrant church will attract guests. A sick church will not.</li>
<li style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; list-style-position: outside; list-style-type: decimal; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><strong style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Worship wars.</strong> Yes, they still exist in many churches. Those wars are indicators of an inward focus by the members.</li>
<li style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; list-style-position: outside; list-style-type: decimal; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><strong style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Unrealistic expectations of pastoral care.</strong> Sick churches view pastors and other staff as hired hands to do all of the work of ministry. Healthy churches view pastors as equippers for the members to do most of the ministry.</li>
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None of these symptoms are good, but churches do go through periods where they demonstrate a few of them. The key is to recognize the symptoms and respond early and quickly.</div>
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Here is my own subjective health analysis according to the number of symptoms:</div>
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<strong style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">1 to 2 symptoms</strong><em style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">. </em>Normal for most churches for a short period of time. Not an indicator of poor health, but the symptoms should be addressed promptly.</div>
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<strong style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">3 to 4 symptoms</strong><em style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">. </em>The church is sick and needs immediate attention.</div>
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<strong style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">5 to 6 symptoms</strong><em style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">. </em>The church is very sick. If significant changes are not made, the congregation is in danger of moving into the phase of terminal illness.</div>
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<strong style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">7 to 10 symptoms</strong><em style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">. </em>The church is in danger of dying in the next five to ten years. While it is possible for a church to recover from this level of sickness, it is rare. Intervention must be quick, intense, and dramatic. The amount of change necessary is often more than most leaders and members are willing to bear.</div>
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Give an honest assessment of your own church by these symptom indicators. What do you see? What should you do if there are a number of symptoms? Let me hear from you.</div>
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<br />Chris Meirosehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05717903860701408008noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8657772.post-41588971777390693082015-06-02T15:23:00.001-05:002015-06-02T15:23:27.694-05:004 Steps for new ways of thinkingInteresting piece from <a href="http://www.ministrybestpractices.com/2015/06/working-in-clouds-or-dirt.html" target="_blank">Ministry Best Practices</a>:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeP1qclVYbDW2obUeLz3UN-zrgYLZyTK5iGq96Lc1ZTUY9XLgruB242GZufGw72w2oHEPfrddAZEExaUZ-XH5OHXhU-zFxdU3pqlxuxpW91HupIeyxBFhDOaCiohZJqx7Keu-J/s1600/The+lifecycle+of+an+idea.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeP1qclVYbDW2obUeLz3UN-zrgYLZyTK5iGq96Lc1ZTUY9XLgruB242GZufGw72w2oHEPfrddAZEExaUZ-XH5OHXhU-zFxdU3pqlxuxpW91HupIeyxBFhDOaCiohZJqx7Keu-J/s1600/The+lifecycle+of+an+idea.jpg" /></a></div>
<br />Chris Meirosehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05717903860701408008noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8657772.post-87274376707909620312015-05-30T23:11:00.001-05:002015-05-30T23:11:33.873-05:00Making disciples not convertsA <a href="http://www.relevantmagazine.com/god/were-called-make-disciples-not-converts" target="_blank">great piece over at Relevant Magazine</a> with an excerpt below.<br />
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Our mission isn’t to win converts; it’s to make disciples. So what is the difference?</div>
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<li style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 25.75px; margin: 0px;">Converts are believers who live like the world. Disciples are believers who live like Jesus.</li>
<li style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 25.75px; margin: 0px;">Converts are focused on their values, interests, worries, fears, priorities, and lifestyles. Disciples are focused on Jesus.</li>
<li style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 25.75px; margin: 0px;">Converts go to church. Disciples are the church.</li>
<li style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 25.75px; margin: 0px;">Converts are involved in the mission of Jesus. Disciples are committed to it.</li>
<li style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 25.75px; margin: 0px;">Converts cheer from the sidelines. Disciples are in the game.</li>
<li style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 25.75px; margin: 0px;">Converts hear the word of God. Disciples live it.</li>
<li style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 25.75px; margin: 0px;">Converts follow the rules. Disciples follow Jesus.</li>
<li style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 25.75px; margin: 0px;">Converts are all about believing. Disciples are all about being.</li>
<li style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 25.75px; margin: 0px;">Converts are comfortable. Disciples make sacrifices.</li>
<li style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 25.75px; margin: 0px;">Converts talk. Disciples make more disciples.</li>
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A disciple is someone who whole-heartedly follows the life and example of Jesus, who makes His mission their mission, His values their values, and His heart their heart.</div>
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A disciple is someone who desperately seeks to be like Jesus. A disciple is someone so committed to the cause of Christ that they would follow Him through the gates of hell and back.</div>
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A disciple is someone who finds their entire identity, purpose and meaning in Jesus. Jesus is the center of their lives. They are all in, fully committed.</div>
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Not only is a disciple willing to die for Jesus, but they are dedicated to living every day of their life for Him.</div>
<br />Chris Meirosehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05717903860701408008noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8657772.post-84997576054105166882015-05-29T19:04:00.001-05:002015-05-29T19:05:23.907-05:00Spiritual Disciplines Matter in Church RevitalizationGreat read from Chuck Lawless on the important role our own personal walk with Christ plays in the revitalization of our churches.<br />
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<a href="http://thomrainer.us4.list-manage.com/track/click?u=e900691004213b8049094abdb&id=6ad1908ebf&e=4b51a71236" style="color: #940100; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; word-wrap: break-word;" target="_blank">10 Reasons Why Spiritual Disciplines Matter </a></h2>
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<a href="http://thomrainer.us4.list-manage.com/track/click?u=e900691004213b8049094abdb&id=6ad1908ebf&e=4b51a71236" style="color: #940100; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; word-wrap: break-word;" target="_blank">in Church Revitalization</a></h2>
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<em><strong>By Chuck Lawless</strong></em></div>
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Thom Rainer and I have talked often about the process of church revitalization. Both of us recognize, though, that knowledge of revitalization is hardly enough to turn around a church; the process cannot be separated from the personal walk of the leader who longs for church renewal. Below are ten reasons why spiritual disciplines matter in church revitalization.</div>
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<li><strong>The call to disciplines reveals our heart</strong>. If we don’t spend time with God daily, that choice tells us something about ourselves. Perhaps we are more self-dependent than God-dependent (see #6 below). Maybe we are “fixers” who try to address problems first, and then pray if necessary. We may evaluate our walk on the basis of public results more than a personal relationship with God. Any of these realities will hinder revitalization.</li>
<li><strong>Our personal walk with God affects the corporate walk of the local church</strong>. Leaders who spend little time with God tend to spend less time challenging their members to be with God. Their stories of personal victory are often more past tense than present tense. Those who do not follow God intimately seldom see genuine revitalization in their church; in fact, they sometimes produce congregations that unknowingly <em>need </em>revitalization</li>
<li><strong>The Bible is a book about hope and life</strong>. We know this truth – perhaps so well that we have forgotten its power. We preach about the promise of resurrection and new creation, all the while wondering if even God can revitalize dying congregations. To have hope for revitalization, we need to be reminded regularly through the Word that God brings life out of death.</li>
<li><strong>Disciplines strengthen our faith</strong>. Reading the Word and praying are more than just disciplines; they are lifelines to the Father. Knowing that God divides seas, collapses walls, slays giants, and empties tombs strengthens our trust in Him. Talking to Him and recognizing He listens to our prayers magnify our wonder of Him. No task of revitalization is too big for this God.</li>
<li><strong>Prayer is an expression of relationship with, and dependence on, God</strong>. When we pray, we express the truth that we cannot do in our power what God has called us to do. The reverse is also true: our prayerlessness is an expression of idolatry of the self. God does not bless the leadership of idolaters, even those who have great skills for revitalization.</li>
<li><strong>Daily obedience undergirds our praying</strong>. Simply stated, revitalization requires the power of God. The kind of praying that results in God’s power demands obedience (Isa. 59:1-2), including reading the Word, praying continually, and rejecting temptation. Perfunctory prayer from disobedient hearts hardly produces new life in a congregation.</li>
<li><strong>Disciplines focus our attention on God, not on our circumstances</strong>. It’s the apathetic, dying church that needs God’s renewed touch, but it’s that same church that can most frustrate its leaders. Unless we are regularly focusing on God via study and prayer, the obstacles to revitalization can quickly become overwhelming.</li>
<li><strong>Disciplines help to turn our heart outward</strong>. It’s hard to read the Bible consistently without seeing God’s heart for our neighbors and the nations. The resounding message of the scripture is that the God who desires a prayerful, intimate relationship with us loves the world. Leaders who live in that truth daily are best prepared to lead inwardly focused churches toward turnaround.</li>
<li><strong>Apart from being with God, we can produce deceptive revitalization</strong>. This reason may seem to contradict #2 above, but here’s the tricky part: if revitalization is limited to increased numbers, even the leader who is not faithful in his walk with God can lead a church to “revitalization.” What might seem to be a move of God, however, could be nothing more than popularity and attraction.</li>
<li><strong>Faithfulness to spiritual disciplines gives us humble confidence to lead</strong>. Revitalization requires helping churches see their current situation and then change as needed to reach this generation. Leaders who live in a state of ongoing dependence on God are most prepared to lead in this direction.</li>
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<strong>Let’s help one another: what steps have you taken to help you be more faithful in spiritual disciplines?</strong></div>
Chris Meirosehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05717903860701408008noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8657772.post-31882052235559060062015-05-23T22:21:00.002-05:002015-05-23T22:21:17.424-05:00Tim Keller on preaching to the heartGavin Ortlund has a great peice on Tim Keller's thought on preaching over at <a href="http://www.thegospelcoalition.org/article/why-sermons-often-bore" target="_blank">The Gospel Coalition</a>. Below is a excerpt.<br />
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Tim Keller argues that there are six characteristics of preaching that effectively engages the heart. I list them here, with my top personal takeaway from each.</div>
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<strong style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">1. Preach culturally.</strong></div>
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If our preaching does not engage with the competing narratives of our surrounding culture, Keller argued, it will simply bounce off the surface of many listeners, rather than engaging their hearts. For instance, take the view that if two people really love each other, it is fine for them to have sex. To deflate this myth, preachers cannot simply expound a biblical view of sexuality and then expect listeners to connect the dots on their own. The preacher must show how biblical truth intersects with these cultural beliefs, and how it is far more fulfilling and meaningful. How many of my sermons have failed to do this! And what a difference it can make!</div>
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<strong style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">2. Preach <em style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">from</em> the heart.</strong></div>
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People need to sense the preacher has been wounded and repaired by the text. Many preachers try too hard to be good at preaching, or to be passionate in their preaching. In order to do this, preachers must (1) know their material cold and (2) have a rich prayer life.</div>
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<strong style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">3. Preach imaginatively.</strong></div>
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One of the great misconceptions about sermon illustrations is that they must always be stories. Images and word pictures can also powerful. For instance, in his famous sermon “Sinner in the Hands of an Angry God,” Jonathan Edwards said, “All your righteousness would have no influence to uphold you or keep you out of hell, any more than a spider’s web could stop a falling rock.” Connecting the abstract truth to a concrete, sensory experience can position it for stronger appeal to the heart.</div>
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<strong style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">4. Preach practically.</strong></div>
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One of the most helpful ways to do application is the dialogical approach: ask questions. The more specific the questions, the better. Keller put it vividly: “You almost need to turn some parts of the sermon into counseling.” Imagine you are sitting in a counseling scenario and talking directly to someone, and then do exactly that in the sermon.</div>
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<strong style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">5. Preach wondrously.</strong></div>
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J. R. R. Tolkien said that fairy tales continue to be popular because they give you stories in which characters escape time, escape death, hold communion with non-human beings, find perfect love, and triumph over evil. The gospel fulfills all these deep human longings. So do we preach this way? Is there a sense of wonder in our preaching?</div>
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<strong style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">6. Preach Christocentrically.</strong></div>
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Preachers cannot appeal to the heart unless they preach Christ from each text. Keller referenced a comment from his wife, Kathy, to him early on in his preaching that until it gets to Jesus, it’s just a lecture, not a sermon. But when the sermon gets to Jesus, everyone puts their pens down, and instead of feeling like they are walking, people feel like they are flying. Worship happens.</div>
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="337" mozallowfullscreen="" src="https://player.vimeo.com/video/125797573?color=ff9933&byline=0&portrait=0" webkitallowfullscreen="" width="599"></iframe> Watch Tim Keller speak at our 2105 National Conference in Orlando, Florida.<br /><br />For more resources visit <a href="http://tgc.org/">TGC.org</a>.</center>
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Chris Meirosehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05717903860701408008noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8657772.post-48191537987333376432015-05-20T14:01:00.001-05:002015-05-20T14:01:19.552-05:00Seven things for church members to say to guests at our church<a href="http://thomrainer.com/2015/05/20/seven-things-church-members-should-say-to-guests-in-a-worship-service/" target="_blank">From Thom Rainer</a>.<br />
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<li style="box-sizing: border-box; list-style-type: decimal;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: 700;">“Thank you for being here.” </span>It’s just that basic. I have heard from numerous church guests who returned because they were simply told “thank you.”</li>
<li style="box-sizing: border-box; list-style-type: decimal;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: 700;">“Let me help you with that.” </span>If you see someone struggling with umbrellas, young children, diaper bags, purses, and other items, a gesture to hold something for them is a huge positive. Of course, this comment is appropriate for member to member as well.</li>
<li style="box-sizing: border-box; list-style-type: decimal;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: 700;">“Please take my seat.” </span>I actually heard that comment twice in a church where I was speaking in the Nashville area. The first comment came from a member to a young family of five who were trying to find a place to sit together.</li>
<li style="box-sizing: border-box; list-style-type: decimal;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: 700;">“Here is my email address. Please let me know if I can help in any way.” </span>Of course, this comment must be used with discretion, but it can be a hugely positive message to a guest.</li>
<li style="box-sizing: border-box; list-style-type: decimal;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: 700;">“Can I show you where you need to go?” </span>Even in smaller churches, guests will not know where to find the nursery, restrooms, and small group meeting areas. You can usually tell when a guest does not know where he or she is to go.</li>
<li style="box-sizing: border-box; list-style-type: decimal;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: 700;">“Let me introduce you to ___________.” </span>The return rate of guests is always higher if they meet other people. A church member may have the opportunity to introduce the guest to the pastor, other church staff, and other members of the church.</li>
<li style="box-sizing: border-box; list-style-type: decimal;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: 700;">“Would you join us for lunch?” </span>I saved this question for last for two reasons. First, the situation must obviously be appropriate before you offer the invitation. Second, I have seen this approach have the highest guest return rate of any one factor. What if your church members sought to invite different guests 6 to 12 times a year? The burden would not be great; but the impact would be huge.</li>
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Let’s look at one example of breaking attendance barriers by saying the right things to guests. Presume your church has two first-time guests a week. Over the course of a year, the church would have 100 first-time guests. With most of the members being genuinely guest friendly, you could see half of those guests become active members. Attendance could thus increase by as much as 50 persons every year.</div>
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<br />Chris Meirosehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05717903860701408008noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8657772.post-11255204483836021082015-05-12T22:47:00.002-05:002015-05-12T22:47:47.657-05:00Understanding Introverts<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://m.atchuup.com/how-to-understand-introverted-people/" target="_blank">From here.</a></div>
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<br />Chris Meirosehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05717903860701408008noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8657772.post-36680586274333738782015-05-12T13:00:00.002-05:002015-05-12T13:00:50.172-05:00Book Review - Motivate Your Child Action PlanA couple of weeks ago I was given a copy of the book <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1888685670/ref=cm_cr_ryp_prd_ttl_sol_0" target="_blank">Motivate Your Child Action Plan</a>. Below is the beginning of my ongoing review of this book.<br />
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For now, I'm giving it 5 stars, and I'll continue to assess this as we fully implement it with our son. And I'll explain why.<br />
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I've now read the book, and did really enjoy it overall. No quibbles with it. But as with any book of this sort, where the rubber meets the road is the key. It's the application.<br />
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I've already seen some improvement with our 5 year old. He's terrible about interrupting adults as they/we talk. As an only child, I suspect this is worse than normal, and is worse than I've observed in most other children. Through implementing just one portion of this book, in a matter of 2 hours we have already begun to see transformation in his behavior. He recognizes that we know he wants to speak, but he is now (mostly) waiting his turn with his hand upon my hand (or my wife's hand) reminding us that he is there patiently waiting his turn to speak. We celebrate each time he does this (positive feedback cycle!) and he's thriving on the reinforcement. How this will work in the larger world remains to be seen, but it made a difference at the restaurant on Mother's Day, and that alone makes the book worth whatever it might cost.<br />
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Generally I'd shy away from this type of book, but having read up about it online and seen some first hand testimonials I decided to give it a go. As it continues to be rolled out I'll try to stop back and update this review to keep it current over the next few months. But so far, I'm really liking what we are seeing. It is written from a Christian parenting worldview which I greatly value. Give it a look and see if it might be of help to you!<br />
<br />Chris Meirosehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05717903860701408008noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8657772.post-37046504877317355042015-05-09T11:06:00.002-05:002015-05-09T11:06:37.721-05:00Is Christianity growing in China?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Below is a portion of a <a href="http://www.cfr.org/china/christianity-china/p36503" target="_blank">FANTASTIC article covering Christianity in modern day China</a>. Click through and read it all if you are interested.<br />
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Christianity in China</h1>
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Author: <a href="http://www.cfr.org/experts/world/eleanor-albert/b20300" style="border: 0px; color: #1f0909; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank">Eleanor Albert</a>, Online Writer/Editor Updated: May 7, 2015</div>
</section><small style="border: 0px; color: #1f0909; font-family: 'PT Serif'; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 24px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Jason Lee/Courtesy Reuters</small><span style="color: #1f0909; font-family: 'PT Serif'; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px;"></span><br />
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Introduction</h5>
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China has witnessed a religious revival over the past four decades, in particular with the significant increase in Christian believers, accounting for 5 percent of the population, according to Pew Research Center data. The number of Chinese Protestants has grown by an average of 10 percent annually since 1979. By <a href="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/china/10776023/China-on-course-to-become-worlds-most-Christian-nation-within-15-years.html" style="border: 0px; color: #1f0909; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank">some estimates</a>, China is on track to have the world’s largest population of Christians by 2030. Though the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) is officially atheist, the rise of Christianity presents Beijing with challenges as well as new options for contributing to services, such as health care and education, to an increasingly demanding public. The government recently launched a series of initiatives to further regulate, and at times restrict, Christian adherents. </div>
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What is the history of Christianity in China?</h5>
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Early waves of Christianity began with the arrival of Italian Jesuit missionary <a href="http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/502216/Matteo-Ricci" style="border: 0px; color: #1f0909; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank">Matteo Ricci</a> in China in the late sixteenth and early seventeenth centuries. China’s first Protestant missionary, Robert Morrison, traveled to China in 1807 on behalf of the London Missionary Society and <a href="http://www.wmcarey.edu/carey/electronic-books/articles/legacy-morrison.pdf" style="border: 0px; color: #1f0909; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank">translated (PDF)</a> the Bible into Mandarin. In the mid-nineteenth century, Christianity became a mobilizing political force: Hong Xiuquan <a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/entertainment/books/autumn-in-the-heavenly-kingdom-china-the-west-and-the-epic-story-of-the-taiping-civil-war-by-stephen-r-platt/2012/04/27/gIQAQwJ3lT_story.html" style="border: 0px; color: #1f0909; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank">developed</a> a Christian-influenced ideology to mount the <a href="http://afe.easia.columbia.edu/special/china_1750_taiping.htm" style="border: 0px; color: #1f0909; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank">Taiping Rebellion</a> (1850–1864) against the Qing Dyansty, attracting missionaries and revolutionaries alike. The rebels amassed control over more than one-third of Chinese territory and established a rival political order, known as the “heavenly kingdom.” The ensuing civil war killed an estimated twenty million people.</div>
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The establishment of the People’s Republic of China (PRC) in 1949 resulted in wide-scale religious repression in mainland China. In keeping with its Marxist roots, the <a href="http://www.cfr.org/china/chinese-communist-party/p29443" style="border: 0px; color: #1f0909; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank">Chinese Communist Party</a> declared itself atheist. “Maoist Thought,” a sinification of Marxism-Leninism that placed the future of the Chinese revolution in the hands of the rural peasants, was the dominant ideology. This was especially true at the height of the Cultural Revolution (1966–1976) when places of worship were closed and religious practices were banned.</div>
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Mao Zedong’s death and his successor Deng Xiaoping’s subsequent reforms reopened China to the outside world, in turn granting greater freedoms to Chinese citizens. A surge in Christian adherents can be traced from the period beginning in the early 1980s. Today, China’s Christian population <a href="http://www.brookings.edu/~/media/events/2014/06/03-christianity-in-china/corrected-transcript--christianity-in-china.pdf" style="border: 0px; color: #1f0909; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank">encompasses (PDF)</a> a range of citizens, from all ages, from the countryside and urban centers, including students and professionals. China is also the world’s largest producer of Bibles: By the end of 2014, the <a href="http://amityprinting.com/about-us/understanding-amity" style="border: 0px; color: #1f0909; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank">Amity Printing Company</a>, a joint venture between the Amity Foundation, a Chinese NGO, and the United Bible Societies, printed more than 140 million bibles in many languages for both domestic and international markets. However, while the government exercises a certain tolerance of religious practices, religious freedom is still constrained and regulated.</div>
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What is China's policy on religious practice?</h5>
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The PRC officially recognizes five religions: Buddhism, Catholicism, Daoism, Islam, and Protestantism. The activities of state-sanctioned religious organizations are regulated by the <a href="http://english1.english.gov.cn/2005-10/09/content_75331.htm" style="border: 0px; color: #1f0909; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank">State Administration for Religious Affairs</a>(SARA), which manages all aspects of religious life including religious leadership appointments, selection of clergy, and interpretation of doctrine. Christianity in China is overseen by three major entities: the Three-Self Patriotic Movement, the China Christian Council, and the Chinese Patriotic Catholic Association. To register as a state-sanctioned Christian organization, religious leaders must <a href="http://www.globaltimes.cn/content/816929.shtml" style="border: 0px; color: #1f0909; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank">receive training</a> in order to “adapt” doctrine to Chinese thinking and culture. China does not differentiate among Christian denominations beyond Catholicism and Protestantism.</div>
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“No one may make use of religion to engage in activities that disrupt public order, impair the health of citizens or interfere with the education system of the state.” – China’s constitution</blockquote>
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Spirituality and religious practice have long been embedded in traditional Chinese culture, says Freedom House’s senior research analyst for East Asia, Sarah Cook. Article thirty-six of the Chinese <a href="http://www.npc.gov.cn/englishnpc/Constitution/2007-11/15/content_1372964.htm" style="border: 0px; color: #1f0909; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank">constitution</a> protects freedom of religion, however that protection is limited to so-called “normal religious activities,” explicitly stating that “no one may make use of religion to engage in activities that disrupt public order, impair the health of citizens or interfere with the education system of the state.” These provisions provide authorities with flexibility when determining which religious practices are consistent with party policy and which fall outside the state’s guidelines. The constitutional provision goes on to specify that religious bodies cannot be subject to foreign control. The Holy See and Beijing do not have formal diplomatic ties, but Pope Francis <a href="http://www.wsj.com/articles/pope-francis-urges-church-to-be-creative-in-spreading-faith-in-asia-1408248757" style="border: 0px; color: #1f0909; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank">signaled</a> in August 2014 that he hoped to thaw China-Vatican relations.</div>
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Underground house churches exist parallel to state-sanctioned Christian churches. These organizations operate outside of the guidelines of the government, and their regulation by party authorities is largely determined by local leaders. Much like official Christian organizations, their membership is also growing across regions and demographics, according to surveys by independent polling groups. A 2010 Pew Research Center report charted that <a href="http://www.pewforum.org/files/2011/12/ChristianityAppendixC.pdf" style="border: 0px; color: #1f0909; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank">thirty-five million (PDF)</a> of China’s fifty-eight million Protestants belonged to independent house churches. Other Christian organizations estimate a much higher number.</div>
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<br />Chris Meirosehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05717903860701408008noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8657772.post-36939522849784730422015-05-07T16:55:00.002-05:002015-05-07T16:55:36.835-05:00Who gets "Left Behind"?I'm inclined to agree with the article below. Thoughts? As I say <a href="http://www.wasecachurch.org/pastors-statement-of-faith.html" target="_blank">in my statement of faith</a> -<br />
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<span style="color: #274e13;"><b>Millennial and Tribulational Views<br />I am not completely convinced and convicted to fall into one category concerning the order of events of the Second Coming, and for several reasons. Partially because I am not as well informed as to the pros and cons of the various positions as I hope to eventually be <i>(and yes, I regularly study this BTW)</i>. Additionally, the biblical passages which speak of events surrounding the Second Coming appear highly metaphorical and are notoriously difficult to interpret. Third, Jesus himself says that no one knows when it is that he will return (Mk 14:31-35; Mt 24:36-44). What matters most about the Second Coming is that it is the time of God’s Final Judgment, a time for which every person should prepare him or herself (Mt 16:27; Rev 20:12-15). If forced to pick a position I would call myself a historic premillennialist (Rev 20:1-6).</b></span></blockquote>
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<a href="http://www.newsmax.com/US/Left-Behind-book-series-the-Rapture-Bible/2015/05/05/id/642759/" target="_blank">Sorry, 'Left Behind' Fans, the Rapture Is Not in the Bible</a></h1>
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Tuesday, 05 May 2015 05:12 PM</div>
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By John Martignoni, Aleteia.org</div>
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<a href="http://www.aleteia.org/en" style="color: #071b59; font-size: 18px; font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size: medium;">In Fact, If Anyone's Getting Beamed Up, It's Not the Good Guys</span></a><br /><br /><strong>Question: </strong>A friend of mine has been reading the "Left Behind" series of books [by Tim LaHaye and Jerry B. Jenkins] that have all of this stuff about the Rapture in them. Is there really going to be a Rapture like these books talk about?<br /><br /><strong>Answer: </strong>No.The Rapture refers to a passage in First Thessalonians 4, where Christians are "caught up" in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air." Many Christians believe, and the "Left Behind" books promote, that this being "caught up" to meet the Lord will occur before the Great Tribulation sometime in the near future. Christians will simply vanish, meet Jesus somewhere in the air, and then return with Him to Heaven to await the end of time.<br /><br />But notice, in verse 15, Paul says that "...we who are alive, who are left," shall be caught up. This is a very important point to stress to rapture enthusiasts. Those who are "left" get caught up to meet the Lord. Keep that in mind as we look at these next couple of Scripture passages.<br /><br />The "Left Behind" books get their name from a passage in Luke 17, and a similar passage in Matthew 24, which compares the coming of the Lord to the days of Noah and the days of Lot. Matthew 24 puts it this way: "As were the days of Noah, so will be the coming of the Son of man ... [they ate, they drank, they married] and they did not know until the flood came and swept them all away, so will be the coming of the Son of man. Then two men will be in the field, one is taken and one is left. Two women grinding at the mill, one is taken one is left."<br /><br />"One is taken, one is left" — the Rapture right? Jesus takes the Christians and leaves behind non-Christians!<br /><br />That's how rapture enthusiasts interpret these passages. Well, you need to say to them: "Not so fast, folks."<br /><br />There are two problems with the Protestant "Left Behind" interpretation: First, in the passages from Luke 17 and Matthew 24, Jesus' coming is compared to the days of Noah and the days of Lot. Let's think about that for a moment. After the flood, who was left? Noah and his family — the good guys. The bad guys were taken and the good guys were left behind! After Sodom and Gomorrah went up in smoke, who was left? Lot and his daughters — the good guys. The bad guys were taken and the good guys were left behind!<br /><br />The second problem with the "Left Behind" interpretation has to do with what I mentioned above: 1 Thessalonians 4 says that those who are "left" get to meet Jesus in the air. You want to be left behind. Why? Because those who are left behind get to meet Jesus on His return to earth. Again, when you put 1 Thessalonians 4 together with Matthew 24 and Luke 17, it becomes quite apparent that the good guys are the ones left behind to meet Jesus.<br /><br />And, if you need further proof of that, there's a passage in Matthew 13 that pretty much seals the deal. Matthew 13:39-43, "... and the enemy who sowed them [the bad seed] is the devil; the harvest is the close of the age, and the reapers are angels. Just as the weeds are gathered and burned with fire, so will it be at the close of the age. The Son of man will send His angels and they will gather out of His kingdom all causes of sin and all evildoers, and throw them into the furnace of fire; there men will weep and gnash their teeth. Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father."<br /><br />So when Scripture says that "one is taken and one is left," as it does in Luke 17 and Matthew 24, it is not talking about the Rapture, it is talking about the harvest at the close of the age. The ones who are taken, as it says in Matthew 13, are the evildoers. The angels have taken them and tossed them into the furnace of fire.<br /><br />So, the "Left Behind" books got it exactly 180 degrees wrong. The ones taken are not the good guys, they are the evildoers. The ones who are left behind are the ones who get to be caught up in the clouds to meet Jesus in the air at His Second Coming, when He will bring all of the angels and saints with Him and there will be a new Heaven and a new Earth.<br /><br />In other words, there will be no Rapture like the one the "Left Behind" books talk about. The "Left Behind" books teach the opposite of what Scripture actually says.</div>
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<br />Chris Meirosehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05717903860701408008noreply@blogger.com0