http://www.flickr.com/photos/martinthehat/3146382293/ Here is how my day begins–with thoughts of people who promise to make this day a bad day. So I cry to you, Lord. I call… Read More »Prayer from Psalm 119:145-152: A Word of Hope
Jesus says following him comes down to just two simple things: loving God and loving others.
But our Christianity is often oriented around many other things. Our faith is often complex and confused.
Is loving God and loving neighbor the focus of your faith?
Scott McKnight, author of “The Jesus Creed” offers this test to find out:
1. I sense myself being most spiritual when: (1) I am reading the Bible, (2) I am doing something religious for others, (3) I am attending church, (4) I am communing with God, (5) I am exercising love toward others and God.
Chris Altrock – Highland Church of Christ – Memphis, TN
Summer Celebration – Lipscomb University – July, 2010
In a recent article for Christianity Today Ed Stetzer surveyed multiple studies of the Christian faith in America and then provided these concluding thoughts:[1] “Mainline denominations are no longer bleeding; they are hemorrhaging. Increasingly, they are simply managing their decline. For evangelicals, the picture is better, but only in comparison to the mainline churches. Southern Baptists, composing the largest Protestant denomination in the U.S., have apparently peaked and are trending toward decline. The same is true of most evangelical denominations…. There is little doubt in my mind that the cultural expression of Christianity in America is declining. True, Christianity is losing its “home-field advantage” in North America.” There is little doubt that Christianity in America is facing significant challenges and that fewer Americans are embracing the Christian faith.
In his book Why Christian Character Matters, N. T. Wright says character matters for three basic reasons: First, character solves the question of “What am I… Read More »Why Character Counts (After You Believe: Why Christian Character Matters – N. T. Wright)