What would the church look like if it put we before me?
Joseph H. Hellerman
Spiritual formation occurs primarily in the context of community. Persons who remain connected with their brothers and sisters in the local church almost invariably grow in self-understanding. And they mature in their ability to relate in healthy ways to God and to fellow human beings. This is especially the case for those courageous Christians who stick it out through the messy process of interpersonal conflict. Long-term relationships are the crucible of genuine progress in the Christian life. People who stay grow.
People who leave do not grow. We all know persons consumed with spiritual wanderlust. We never get to know them well because they cannot seem to stay put. They move from church to church, avoiding conflict or ever searching for a congregation that will better satisfy their felt needs. Like trees repeatedly transplanted from soil to soil, these spiritual nomads fail to put down roots, and they seldom experience lasting, fruitful growth in their Christian lives.
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by R. Lamar Vest (President of the American Bible Society; former Presiding Bishop of the Church of God)
More than two thirds of 18- to 29-year-olds in America have a serious gap in their education. They have little knowledge of a work that has informed generations of literature, government, philosophy, and social behavior. And, more importantly, they are divorced from a message that has brought comfort, inspiration, and hope to millions.
The Bible has yet to beat the perception of being a dusty old rule book among millennials largely because to substantiate relevance and garner interest, the text first must be read. According to LifeWay Research, 67 percent of “millennials” don’t read the Bible or other sacred texts. This certainly would account for the results of a 2009 poll conducted by our organization that found that more Americans mistakenly attributed a scripture passage on poverty to President Obama, Oprah, or Angelina Jolie than to the Bible. Only 13 percent correctly identified the passage as being from Scripture.
While these statistics are not surprising for those of us who have followed trends in Bible readership, it is never the less disheartening.
But a further decline in Bible readership is far from inevitable.
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J. Lee Grady
We charismatics celebrate the Holy Spirit, yet our theology of the Spirit is often off balance. Two popular charismatic speakers stood on a stage two years ago and decided they should demonstrate the power of the Holy Spirit. One guy pretended to throw an imaginary “fireball” at his friend, who promptly fell over as if he had been zapped by the divine power. Then, feeling equally playful, the guy on the floor stood to his feet and threw the “fireball” back at his friend—who fell after the “blob” of God hit him.
Everybody laughed and had a hilarious time at this outrageous party. There was just one problem. The Holy Spirit is not a blob, a fireball or any other form of divine energy that can be thrown, manipulated, maneuvered or controlled.
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How to protect your child’s heart and mind from the power of pornography
By Michelle Lippincott
The beautiful bride on the back cover of my Victoria magazine appeared carefree and radiant. Dressed in a strapless white gown, she was running down the beach followed by her exquisite wedding party. There was nothing indecent about the scene, but moments earlier when I asked my 6-year-old son why he was carrying around my magazine, he showed me this picture. And he looked ashamed.
That day, as never before, I realized the battle for a child’s mind begins very early. Although the picture that captured my son’s interest was not pornographic, it was a reminder to me that he will be a curious 9-year-old before I know it. It won’t be long before he discovers images far more tantalizing than the woman in the white gown.
Our culture feeds children a visual diet of images that arouse the imagination—images that are not lost on young children. Socially palatable pornography is everywhere. It can be found on the cover of a magazine in the grocery store checkout line or the department store circulars stuffed in with the Sunday paper.
I know there are parents who will think my son’s interest in a perfume ad was no big deal. But experts have found that a child’s understanding of sex and sexuality is formed early on. Russell Willingham, pastoral counselor and the author of Breaking Free: Understanding Sexual Addiction & the Healing Power of Jesus (InterVarsity) has found that 40 to 65 percent of Christian men struggle with pornography, a struggle that often begins in childhood.
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