It is through human witness that others are led to recognize Jesus as the Christ. The invitation to "Come and see" is at the heart of Christian evangelism. But more is needed from us than an invitation. We must have something worth seeing. Our challenge is to live as disciples and create a place that is worth seeing - a place where heaven and earth intersect. »more
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It is through human witness that others are led to recognize Jesus as the Christ. The invitation to "Come and see" is at the heart of Christian evangelism. But more is needed from us than an invitation. We must have something worth seeing. Our challenge is to live as disciples and create a place that is worth seeing - a place where heaven and earth intersect. »more
We dwell in a secular world, but we believe in a sacramental world - a world alive in God, created by God for God. The gospel will always clash with secularity. Reason is not the ultimate authority. Matter is not all that matters. And yet in spite of its extremes, secularity has much to commend it. We would do well to affirm its positives while critiquing its negatives. »more
At the end of the day, everyone is trying to sell something. Every person with a product or message hopes to communicate in a way that is compelling, persuasive, and convincing. In other words, they hope to influence another person. They package their message or product in such a way that it is most effective. »more
The kingdom is beyond our control - and that is a good thing! The kingdom depends on God's power, not human effort or agency. We are not responsible for its growth, but we are responsible to do one thing - scatter the seed on the ground. We play a role, but the growth itself is in God's hands. "[We] see to the sowing and God sees to the growing." »more
Clinging to a "rule of faith" is not enough. We must also seek to express our faith through a commitment to "a rule of love." Every religious belief and practice must lead to this end - the love of God and the love of others. Anything that undermines, eclipses, or negates this end is misguided. »more
The shema (Deut. 6:4-7) calls for an intentional, structured mindfulness to God?s presence in the normal duties of our lives. Without continual conscious attempts to remain aware of God in our daily lives, we will ignore or even forget God. For the sake of nurturing faith - our own and other's - we must not only "walk the talk" (practice what we preach) but "talk the walk." »more
The challenge of "ordinary evangelism" is so much greater than confrontational evangelism. There is no pre-scripted presentation to fall back on and no pre-packaged product to pitch. There is only one God-saturated and God-oriented life to share with another in all the unrehearsed sloppiness of daily living. »more
What does it mean to be a "witness"? It is certainly more than "evangelism-by-the-numbers" - the bold recounting of a few select pre-scripted, pre-packaged facts in the hearing of an unbeliever! »more
The lost are precious, valued, and cherished people whom God desires would return to his embrace. They are "missing persons" - "the people Jesus misses the most." We must reject the use of any language that makes us appear as "holier-than-thou's." »more
Jonah was not gutless; he was heartless! Jonah fled because he could not stand to think that God might extend his grace and mercy beyond the borders of Israel. How could God extend compassion, not just to a Gentile nation, but to a vicious and cruel imperial power that constantly threatened God's covenant people? »more
