Tag: Life

Christian Living

A Sense of Urgency

Chris

When was the last time you were in the store, maybe a department, grocery or convenience store, and thought you’d pick the shortest line so you would have the shortest wait? If you’re like me, you often find yourself wishing you had picked a different line. It seems that whenever we have someplace to go or something to do, and even if we don’t, we tend stand and wait while the person ahead of us counts exact change, has to write out a check, or goes through a couple of different credit cards, all to pay for the three items that you guessed would get him or her through the checkout line in a hurry.

Today I found myself in one of those situations. Just before I started stewing, God reminded me of a truth that I often speak about in ministry and Christian living.

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Book Reviews

Book Review: “It Came From Within” by Andy Stanley

Chris

“…each of us lives from the heart. And the health of your heart will be reflected in the quality of your life” (204). While this quote comes from late in Andy Stanley’s It Came From Within: the shocking truth of what lurks in the heart (Multnomah, 2006), it is the premise for the book. In his easy style, Andy Stanley grips you from page with interest in what can make your heart sick, delve into Scripture to find the truth of what is there and God’s prescription to defeat the monster(s) within.

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Book Reviews

Book Review: “Real Church” by Larry Crabb

Chris

I’ve just finished Larry Crabb’s Real Church (Thomas Nelson, 2009). When I found it in the bookstore, I thought, “This sounds like it will encourage my thinking about the Church, modern Christianity, and what it means to be the Body of Christ.” Six weeks later, I realize how right I was, though the book took a far different path than I expected.

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Christian Living

Infamous Christianity

Chris

I hinted at this post at the end of “famous” Christianity, but haven’t had a chance to get to it because of some changes around here. Another reason is that I’ve had so many other thoughts floating around my head that these were lost in the shuffle.

So far we’ve talked about three other pitfalls of Western Christianity: Mindless, Lonely, and Famous Christianity. You could say that the previous posts primarily affect those of us who are part of the Church, participating in Christian circles. For example, “mindlessness” hurts the individual. The desire to be famous impacts an individual church. Infamous Christianity starts within us, but its impact is felt more outside of the Church.

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Christian Living

Famous Christianity

Chris

In this stage of life and ministry, I find myself pondering nuts and bolts Christianity, as well as the purpose and mission of the local church. Many talk about the approaching demise of what is often called “institutional” or “formal” church, being for the most part that gathering on Sunday mornings or through the week where Christians come together for corporate worship, prayer and teaching.

These ponderings have launched us into this series of posts. They have taken shape as pitfalls of our Western, post-modern understanding and practice of Christianity.

Thanks to a combination of the Declaration of Independence (the right to life, liberty and happiness ~ misquoted on purpose) and the spread of democratic ideals, the American Dream has reached the four corners of the earth. It has also infiltrated our understanding of spirituality and church life.

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Christian Living

Lonely Christianity

Chris

According to Adherents.com, Christianity is the largest world religion with two billion adherents (defined as “all members, including full members, their children and the estimated number of other regular participants who are not considered as communicant, confirmed or full members”). According to ReligiousTolerance.org, about 75% of American adults identify themselves under the title Christian.

It’s safe to say there is no shortage of “Christians” in our lives. In many towns and cities, to open the Yellow Pages and look under churches, you’ll find not just a small handful, but pages of listings. And yet, when things happen in our lives, where do we turn?

In most cases, we pull away from everyone. We try to figure things out, working with all our might to fight through some of the most difficult times in our lives. But is that the answer God prescribed for us?

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