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Irreligious: Forsaking Religion and Finding Jesus’ Lord (Mk. 12:35-37)

Chris Altrock – August 15, 2010

Robin Meyers grew up in Churches of Christ.[i]  Along his journey, however, he became disenchanted not only with Churches of Christ, but with all theologically conservative groups.  In his book Saving Jesus From the Church Meyers describes this disenchantment as him rejecting Christ but embracing Jesus.  In fact, the subtitle to his book is “How to Stop Worshiping Christ and Start Following Jesus.”  Meyers began to make a distinction between the “Christ” whom conservative mainline churches have historically emphasized and the “Jesus” whom Meyers had rediscovered recently in the pages of the Bible.  Meyers ultimately became repulsed by people who mistreated others yet said they believed in the orthodox doctrines about Christ (e.g.,. the virgin birth, the miracles of Christ, and his resurrection from the dead).  Meyers came to believe that all of these doctrinal matters about Christ were of little significance.  What mattered most was living out the example left behind by Jesus—treating people the way Jesus would.

 

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Irreligious: Forsaking Religion and Finding Jesus’ Money (Mk. 12:13-17) Chris Altrock – July 25, 2010

Politics and religion.  Church and state.  They are often the two topics which many people refuse to talk about.  And people are especially wary of attempts to combine the two.  A 2008 study by the Pew Forum found a significant increase in the number of people who say that churches should not get involved in political issues.[i] In 2004, 37% of conservatives felt the church should stay out of politics.  In 2008, that number rose to 51%.  The same study found that a growing number of people are uncomfortable with political candidates speaking about religion. In 2004, 40% said they did not want political candidates talking about religious issues.  By 2008, that number rose to 46%.

 

Read More »Irreligious: Forsaking Religion and Finding Jesus’ Money (Mk. 12:13-17) Chris Altrock – July 25, 2010

Revolution: Five Missional Turns Churches Can Make in a Changing Culture to Lead People to Faith

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.

 

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