Articles for tag: Luke 6:1

September 14, 2020

Does It Really Help to ‘Send Thoughts and Prayers’? (Sept. 20 Lesson Application)

This “Application“ column goes with the Bible Lesson for Sept. 20, 2020: Pray (1 Timothy 2:1-8) ________ By David Faust Prayer gets a lot of lip service, but not a lot of respect. Do you see prayer as a last resort or your first response? Many treat God the way a pilot treats his parachute: He’s glad it’s there for emergencies, but he hopes he never has to use it. When a basketball player heaves a long shot that has little chance of hitting the basket, announcers say, “He threw up a prayer.” In football when the quarterback desperately flings

January 17, 2014

Michael C. Mack

Church & Ministry Small Groups

“˜I Don”t Have Time for a Small Group”

By Michael C. Mack Consumer Christians may be the most likely to claim they”re too busy to join a group. It”s not a new excuse, and I”ve decided on some strategies for confronting it. “I”d like to be in a small group, but I just don”t have the time right now.” I have heard that phrase/excuse 7,463 times since getting involved in small group ministry. But who”s counting? It used to frustrate me whenever I heard it. Sometimes I”d argue with the antiparticipant, using my best biblical and sociological case for group involvement. But that never worked. As a small

August 9, 2012

Christian Standard

Church Leadership

Producing the Next Generation of Elders

By John Ashenfelter How long do we want Christ”s churches to last? God built the church to last forever. But local congregations do not last unless Jesus is the cornerstone. To last, the leaders from generation to generation must be committed to and submissive to Jesus, his leadership, and his mission. Local congregations do not last without leaders who are submissive to the Word of God and to his Spirit. One characteristic of such leaders is their devotion to reproducing leaders with this commitment and submission. Churches are always just one generation away from disappearing. With the church”s future in

September 30, 2007

Christian Standard

Church & Ministry Church Leadership

Preaching, Prayer, and Conflict

By Barney Wells The church is different from any other organization in that it is the body and the bride of Christ, the only organization designed and created by God. Therefore anything the church does is essentially theological. If we want to avoid conflict, our first question should be, “What does God want us to do?” Seeking God”s guidance begins in prayer. One may think it goes without saying that a congregation would pray about the decisions it makes, but unfortunately what goes without saying also often goes without doing. When Jesus had a decision to make, such as choosing

August 27, 2006

Victor M. Parachin

Discipleship & Spiritual Formation Spiritual Disciplines

Discerning God’s Guidance

A Quaker “clearness committee” helps Parker Palmer face his motives, leading into practical ways to discern God’s guidance through prayer, silence, steps of faith, and trusted teachers when the path ahead feels unclear.