Weekly Wrap (07/04)

by Joel Hawting | @jhawting

I came across this video recently on Churchleaders.com - This is a great video which explains what the Church is - or should be - all about and what it should be doing. Check it out!

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10 Surprising Reasons Our Kids Leave Church - "We all know them, the kids who were raised in church. They were stars of the youth group. They maybe even sang in the praise band or led worship. And then … they graduate from high school and they leave church. What happened?" Marc Solas writes a wonderful post on why the church in general, are losing the next generation. This is well worth a read.

Honouring Christ Online: An Interview With Tim Challies - There are not many Christian bloggers as influential and well respected as Tim Challies. Ligonier Ministries provides this great interview with Tim Challies.

The New Televangelist - Chris Nye writes a thoughtful post about the new form of Televangelists - "role models under shining lights." A great article!

Eight Diagnostic Questions For A Church's Health - Chuck Lawless writes a great post on Thom Rainer's website, exploring the signs that people in church leadership should look for when considering the health of their church.Well worth checking out.

4 Things to Remember During Unwelcome Work - "I never wanted to work at Cracker Barrel... But none of that mattered when the most pressing question was, How will you provide for your wife and son this week? Like many before and after me, I did whatever was necessary." Trevin Wax provides some encouragement for those of us currently serving God in what he terms "unwelcome work."
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Thought for the day...

"If you want to get warm you must stand near the fire. If you want joy, peace, eternal life, you must get close to what has them."

— C.S. Lewis

Weekly Wrap (31/03)

by Joel Hawting | @jhawting

I came across this video from 2008 of Tim Keller, John Piper & DA Carson talking about what they look for in appointing someone to the position of elder or deacon in their churches. Well worth checking out!

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Why "Insiders Are Killing Your Church" - "Almost everybody who follows Christ, and almost every gathering of those Christ followers constituting a church, says the same thing: "We want to reach the world for Christ." Yet, most don’t." James Emery White writes a great piece on why "long-term insiders" in churches, hamper efforts to truly reach the lost.

Sex in the Sermon - "Over the past few years, my now 12-year-old daughter has been exposed to some rather uncomfortable subjects. Prostitution, homosexuality, whoring, menstrual cycles, bodily emissions, and rape have all been discussed in her presence... We take her to church." Melissa Kruger writes a fantastic article exploring the importance of addressing such issues with children in the safety of the Church environment.

The Revival of a Rebel Jew - Tim Challies invites guest blogger Rick Pearcey to share his incredibly powerful testimony of redemption and coming to faith in Christ. This is a must read.

How Christians Prepare for Suffering - Yet another great article from Jonathan Parnell - content strategist at Desiring God - discussing the issue of suffering. Well worth checking out.

Ten Ways to Know Someone is Leaving Your Church - "Does it bother you when someone leaves your church? The reality is that every church has a “back door.” The key leadership question that must be asked is not, “Are we going to lose people?” The reality is that you are." Brian Dodd - churchleaders.com - provides 10 warning signs for leaders to look out for.
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Thought for the day...

"Christ's resurrection is the breaking in of God's future kingdom on earth. The Risen Christ invites us to live in this coming kingdom now."

— Mike Glenn

Weekly Wrap (17/03)

by Joel Hawting | @jhawting

Francis Chan - a Pastor and well-known Christian Author - talks about the importance of remaining courageous in walking as a Christian in the world today. A great three minute video to check out!

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The Only Foundation For Youth Ministry - "I want students to be won to Jesus, not jokes and games. I must trust in the Spirit, not my amazing programs, to work in my midst." Josh Cousineau writes a great piece for the Gospel Coalition on developing a biblical foundation for Youth Ministry focussed on Jesus.

The Next Bible - "Scripture? There’s an app for that." Joshua Dubois - President Obama's former faith advisor - writes on the increasing market for Bible Applications on technology devices. Well worth a read.

Don't Just Pray - Become a Praying Church - Brady Boyd from Churchleaders.com provides 5 tips to make your church a praying church.

A-La-Carte - Tim Challies always comes up with some great articles from the blogosphere. This one has many interesting articles that are well worth looking at.

Clarifying My Words About Roman Catholic “Heresy” - John Piper's clarification around his assertion that the Catholic Church is promoting heresy through their teaching. It's a good read.
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Thought for the day...

"A man that studieth revenge keeps his own wounds green."

— Francis Bacon

Weekly Wrap (17/02)

by Joel Hawting | @jhawting

I have decided to include a video or a picture that I've come across during the week on my Weekly Wrap posts starting from today. I pray that you enjoy this video about a pastor with a hidden narcotics addiction as much as I did. It's an amazing story of God's grace, forgiveness and redemption and is well worth 15 minutes of your time!

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When My Love Grows Cold - "When it comes to Valentine’s Day there is really just one thing I want—to spend time with my wife." This is a great reflection piece on Valentine's Day from Tim Challies.

Church Leader Counters 'Pastor Tip Gate' - An article about one pastor's (Ed Stetzer) response to the recent stereotyping of Christians as being poor when it comes to leaving tips in restaurants.

Why Doesn't Your Church "Get With The Program?" - Trevin Wax writes a great article reminding people that we as the Church already have a program; the Great Commission.

Faithmapping: An Interview With Mike Cosper - Ed Stetzer interviews Mike Cosper about his new book Faithmapping.

What Would Jesus Do With Christmas Island? - Part 2 of Robert Martin's piece from the Bible Society of Australia, that attempts to tackle this emotive and political issue from a biblical perspective.
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Thought for the day...

"The Scriptures teach us the best way of living, the noblest way of suffering, and the most comfortable way of dying."
— John Flavel

Weekly Wrap (20/01)

by Joel Hawting | @jhawting

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Steve Shalke Drops The Bomb in Support of Committed, Faithful, Same-sex Relationships - Tony Campolo reports on his close friend's decision to come out in support of marriage for committed, faithful, same-sex relationships.

The Essentials: Salvation - It's no secret that I appreciate Tim Challies insights. This is his twentieth instalment in his essentials series on theological terms.

Jesus Sings - He sure does! Tony Reinke from Desiring God highlights this reality of worship from the Son to the Father.

10 Principals of Church planting and expanding - Hillsong's Senior Pastor Brian Houston offers some valuable insights into the areas of church growth and church planting.

30 Things You Might Not Know About C.S. Lewis - Yearn For God provides some interesting little known facts about the great man.
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Thought for the day...

"There are two ways of spreading light. You can be the candle or the mirror that reflects it."
— Edith Wharton

Weekly Wrap (13/01)

by Joel Hawting | @jhawting

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8 Top Christian Blog Posts of The Week: The Lou Giglio Edition - You have to have lived under a rock for the last few weeks to not have heard about the Lou Giglio saga. Dr Bob Kellemen collates the best blog posts in his opinion which explore why Lou Giglio stood down from giving the benediction at President Obama's second inauguration ceremony under intense political pressure.

The Essentials: Holiness - Tim Challies writes his nineteenth instalment in his essentials series on theological terms, and his exploration of Holiness is well worth a look.

Take Courage for God's Mission - "The problem is not that God has neglected to make promises to us or that he doesn't keep those promises. It's that either we don't believe what he says, or we're not interested in what he promises because we still love the world too much." - An excellent, though provoking post from Jonathan Leeman from the Gospel Coalition.

The Slaughter of the Innocents - "A baby is born and we love it, a baby is in the womb and we kill it." - Mark Driscoll offers his reflections on the parallels between the recent shooting atrocity at Sandy Hook Elementary School in the USA and "The slaughter of the Innocents" in Matthew chapter 2.

Pergatory: An Evangelical Doctrine? - Credo magazine's latest edition is free for download and well worth a read.
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Thought for the day...

"This may test your prayers. If there is anything that Jesus would not pray for, do not dream of praying for it."
— C.H. Spurgeon