Discipleship &amp; Spiritual Formation

Internal Security

By Mark A. Taylor Everyone serving the Lord struggles sometimes with tension between external actions and internal motives. Am I singing or preaching or teaching because I love to be in front of people, or because I love to communicate God”s Word? Do I give out of guilt or out of gratitude? Do I approach Bible study, prayer, or weekly worship solely out of duty, or are they a delight to me? And when it comes to ministers who lead growing churches, the tensions multiply. Am I seeking church growth to build the kingdom or to build my ego? Am

April 29, 2014

Maybe the Answers Are Simple

By Mark A. Taylor “We make Christianity so much more complicated than it needs to be, especially when it comes to talking about millennials.” Rachel Held Evans, author of The Year of Biblical Womanhood, had 18 minutes to answer “How will millennials contribute to the future of the church?” Hers was one of 30 questions, each assigned to a different speaker at the Q Conference last week in Nashville. No one gave answers clearer than hers. “Millennials are tired of the culture wars,” Held said. “Time and again church leaders believe a few style changes are the key. But millennials

April 1, 2014

Hearing God”s Call

By Mark A. Taylor Most Thursdays I attend, and usually lead, a men”s small-group Bible study. These are good men, men committed to Christ, churchgoing men, and I couldn”t help thinking about them when I came across a newsletter from the Barna Group earlier this year. According to Barna”s research, 75 percent of American adults say they are looking for ways to live a more meaningful life. But “only 40 percent of practicing Christians say they have a clear sense of God”s calling on their lives.” I”m wondering how the guys in my group feel a sense of calling at

March 24, 2014

Discipleship & Spiritual Formation Spiritual Disciplines

The Spirituality of Shutting Up

By Casey Tygrett We may hear those who speak to us from different theological platforms. But have we really learned to listen to them? If not, we may be missing the most spiritual thing we can do whenÂ confronted by those with whom we disagree. The conductor steps to the platform. His back is firm and straight, posture perfect, and he lifts the baton gently into the air. The musicians with their instruments wait for the moment and the motion to begin the performance. The musician”s score contains different parts, but all the performers are pointed toward one pinnacle””the sweeping moment

December 31, 2013

A Spiritual Checkup

By Mark A. TaylorÂ “What a difference a day makes.” We”ve all experienced the truth of that proverb, but when you substitute “year” for “day,” the changes can seem even more dramatic. Think about the year we”re finishing. In just those 12 months: Someone close was diagnosed with disease or cured from one. Romances blossomed or marriages dissolved. Neighbors came and went. Job layoffs or promotions changed a family”s lifestyle. Babies were born, and a loved one died. Year”s end can be a wonderful time to reflect on the rhythm of life. “We”re used to seeing the doctor for an

December 24, 2013

We Follow Too

By Mark A. TaylorÂ “Where he leads me, I will follow.” That was Mary”s decision, finally, after she had expressed her confusion about the message the angel brought her. “I am the Lord”s servant,” she said. “May your word to me be fulfilled” (Luke 1:38). Joseph, with his own set of doubts, decided he would obey God, too. When God”s messenger explained to Joseph that his fiancÃ©e was pregnant by action of the Holy Spirit, “he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him” (Matthew 1:24). Zechariah, the father of John the Baptist, obeyed God”s will, too, although

October 6, 2013

The Unpopular Answer

By Chad Ragsdale When someone asks me about God”s will for their life, my reply isn”t usually what they”re anticipating. “Be holy,” I say, for this is the Bible”s simplest solution to the problem. “So . . . I”m trying to figure out . . . what exactly is God”s will for my life?” Living and working among hundreds of Bible college students for several years, I”ve heard different versions of this question dozens of times. Where should I go to school? What career should I pursue? Whom should I marry? Should I get married at all? We can, if

August 25, 2013

Disciples Who Make Disciples

By Greg Nettle I don”t believe I can overstate that one of the most effective ways to be a disciple who makes disciples is simply to model what it means to be a follower of Jesus. In other words, to say to those in our sphere of influence what the apostle Paul says to us: “Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ” (1 Corinthians 11:1). How do we invite others to follow our example as we follow the example of Jesus? How do we become disciples who make disciples? The short answer is through relationships. But I

June 22, 2013

Discipleship & Spiritual Formation Spiritual Disciplines

Training for Godliness

By Danny R. Von Kanel Approaching the last lap, Allen”s third-place position was typical. We had crossed the countryside to watch him run races, but in the end, there was little drama. Allen, it seemed, finished each two-mile run in third place. But this race would be different. Rounding the curve, Allen pulled even with the second runner. Halfway through the last lap, Allen pulled even with the first-place runner. Then a sprint ensued to the finish line . . . but Allen lost by a nose. Running has application to the Christian life. First Timothy 4:8 says, “For physical

June 4, 2013

Getting It Lived

By Mark A. Taylor We were talking about truth and grace. It was toward the end of a lively conversation during our first blogtalkradio program, Beyond the Standard; this episode was about how to influence life change. George Ross,Â Tim Harlow, and Brian Mavis discussed the challenges of standing for the truth while standing with the sinner. How do we love and listen to people, leading them to the truth without hitting them over the head with it? Brian told about a friend of his with “grace” and “truth” tattoos, one on each wrist. “Since I”m right-handed, “˜grace” is on my

March 30, 2013

The Alternative Story

By Joe Boyd I want to change the world. I”m obviously not alone. Protestors,Â politicians, pastors, parents, and beauty pageant contestants””we all love to talk about changing the world. Just stick a microphone in front of one of us andÂ we”ll gladly poetically drone about change and hope and the power of possibility. Except for a few fringe extremists, everyone I know genuinely desires world peace. We want to see the hungry fed, the endangered children saved, and the abandoned elderly dignified. It isn”t too hard for us to imagine a better world without slave traders, child abusers, and hatemongers. We want

March 2, 2013

Wanted: Titus 2 Women

By Sheila S. Hudson When I was a rookie minister”s wife, a gentle lady named Merle took me under her wing. Merle was a retired schoolteacher “clothed with strength and dignity” who could “laugh at the days to come” (Proverbs 31:25). Her wisdom earned respect communitywide, while her “never-grow-up attitude” endeared her to believers and nonbelievers alike. Her husband was an extraordinary elder whose wisdom earned esteem in all arenas. Miss Merle modeled Titus 2:3, “Teach the older women to be reverent in the way they live, not to be slanderers or addicted to much wine, but to teach what

February 18, 2013

Why Dwell in a House of Fear?

By Neal Windham A word may not mean what we think it means, especially if our emotions or preconceptions get in the way. Nowhere is this more true than when we talk about words associated with Spiritual formation. At age 2, my grandson Whit sometimes misunderstood the words of the songs he was learning. For example, “Jesus loves meat, this I know, for the Bible tells me so,” and “You make all things beautiful out of dups” (not “dust”). Not surprisingly, as a 5-year-old, his father, Luke, used to sing, “Elsha died, Elsha died” in a minor key, dirgelike, weeping

February 17, 2013

Discipleship & Spiritual Formation Spiritual Disciplines

Abundant Solitude

By Tony Twist He saw strangers comingÂ toward his home. YearsÂ of persecutionsÂ had sensitizedÂ him to the schemesÂ and seductions of theÂ enemy, and alarm bellsÂ were ringing in his head.Â He quickly put his mostÂ precious possessions, his wifeÂ and two young daughters, in theÂ hiding place. Sure enough, the menÂ burst into the house looking for his girls (ages 9 and 11). Their intention was to gang rape, traumatize, and dishonor them so they would never have Christian children. For the radical Muslim leaders fighting “infidels,” this was a calculation of war. For our student, it would have been a devastation of his family. We now have almost 100

February 16, 2013

The Continual Process of Spiritual Formation

By Jim Powell The goal of being like Christ will never be completed. Until we take our last breath, we will struggle in our desire to be the person Jesus calls us to be. Despite our best intentions, and even with noticeable progress, we will still fail in acts of omission and commission with attitudes, thoughts, words, and deeds. What is true for the individual believer is true for the community of faith. To move a congregation toward Christlikeness is a perpetual challenge that will never be mastered and tends to produce as many failures as successes. As our church

February 12, 2013

What We’re Learning on Our Walk (Part 1)

By Jim Probst At Eastview Christian Church (Bloomington, IL), we were searching for a way to convey spiritual formation to our congregation. For many, this would be a new idea. Others would see it as the next step in their journey. For all of us the right metaphor could frame a common experience with a common language. In our church, which has grown well beyond 5,000 on a typical Sunday, this would be a major effort requiring coordination between church leaders and many departments. After months of praying, planning, and writing, we determined to develop a churchwide study through our

February 11, 2013

The Spirit in Spiritual Formation

By J.K. Jones Jr. I”m grateful for our emphasis on logic and reason, but I believe the Holy Spirit is larger than something we can capture or fully understand. But starting with the words of Scripture, we can begin to grasp the Spirit”s role in the life God has planned for us to enjoy. Some things are so big they nearly resist explanation. Consider the way of an eagle in the sky. I”ve watched our national bird soar over the Mississippi River, gliding effortlessly on waves of unseen air currents, then dive at light speed to scoop breakfast from the

February 10, 2013

Spiritual, Like Jesus

By Les Hardin When it comes to spirituality, I find myself caught between two conflicting truths. The first truth is I was born and raised in the church. My parents took me to church when I was only two weeks old, and there”s never been a time in my life when I didn”t know Jesus on some level. I am descended from elders and deacons, trained at the seminary by serious men: a discipler, a teacher of Israel, and a ministry veteran. But here”s the second truth: in spite of my upbringing and training, I have no idea what it

February 9, 2013

Living in Rhythm with Jesus

By Casey Tygrett Let”s face it. We can”t dance. Most of us, anyway. Perhaps you are one of the chosen few who can actually dance, but that takes rhythm. And the kind of rhythm involved in dancing is a gift I was not blessed with. There is no rhythm in this overcommitted and under-paused culture, either. But Jesus offers a solution for that. The rhythm we create for ourselves is fragile and broken and built on selfish foundations that turn and fade with the seasons of our lives. It”s not that our seasons aren”t important, but when we travel the

February 8, 2013