Examiner.com article: Who will care for “those people”?
I’ve published another article for Examiner.com as the Raleigh Practical Christianity Examiner. The article is called “Who will care for ‘those people’?”
If you’ve never read one of my Examiner.com articles before, please read this article. (If you have read some of my Examiner.com articles before, please read this article.)
To me, this article points to the main problem in “Christianity” today. I put the word Christianity in quotes, because I’m not convinced that a person who refuses to demonstrate love for his/her actual neighbors can be classified as a follower of Christ. (Didn’t James say that kind of faith was dead? And didn’t John say that person does not know the love of God?)
Anyway, here’s a brief excerpt from the article:
I walked over to him and introduced myself. He asked if we were a church, and I told him that we were part of a church and that we were raking leaves to help our friends who lived in the housing development. He told me that he was part of another church in the area.
Then, he said something that I will never forget. He said, “I’m glad that someone is helping those people”…
Please use the link above to jump over to Examiner.com and read the whole article (it’s very short).
Examiner.com article: Is the economy getting better?
I’ve published a new article on Examiner.com as the Raleigh Practical Christianity Examiner. The article is called “Is the economy getting better?“
Now, if you know anything about me and my blog, you know that I rarely (if ever) write about news events or politics or the economy. But, this article is not really about the economy.
Instead, this article is about those who are being hit hardest by our weak economy and how the church (for the most part) has not stepped up to help.
Please use the link above to jump over to Examiner.com and read this short article.
Examiner.com article: Next Christians seek the gospel first
I’ve published another article at Examiner.com as the Raleigh Practical Christianity Examiner. The title of the article is “Next Christians seek the gospel first.”
This article is a brief review or overview of Gabe Lyon’s book The Next Christians: The Good News About the End of Christian America. (I wrote a longer review of the same book here: “The New Normal: a description or exhortation.”)
Here is part of my Examiner.com article:
What sets these new Christians apart from older generations? According to Lyons, while previous generations focused on the parts of the good news related to the fall and redemption, the Next Christians include creation and restoration, seeking a fuller understanding of the gospel. Thus, these “restorers” (as the author calls them) work together to restore culture.
Please jump over to Examiner.com to read the rest of this short article.
Examiner.com article: 20/20 Conference encourages students to engage culture
I’ve published another article for Examiner.com as the Raleigh Practical Christianity Examiner. The article is called “20/20 Conference encourages students to engage culture.”
The article is about a conference primarily for college students being held at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary this weekend.
Here is part of the article:
The conference is primarily intended for college students and attempts to answer the difficult questions that often face believers: Why do you believe what you believe? Why does God allow suffering in the world?…
Conference speakers include guests Michael Greene, J. Budziszewski, and Albert Mohler, as well as Southeastern’s Daniel Akin and Bruce A. Little.
Please click the link above and jump to Examiner.com to read the short article.
Examiner.com article: Raleigh resident plants churches around the world
I’ve written another article for Examiner.com as the Raleigh Practical Christianity Examiner. The article is called “Raleigh resident plants churches around the world.”
This article is about Tim Bunn. I was introduced to Tim by my friend Art, who often comments here.
It seems that Tim’s desire is to take “church planting” out of the realm of logistics and demographics and methodology and put it back in the hands of the Holy Spirit working through disciples.
Here is part of my article:
For Raleigh resident Tim Bunn, planting churches is not an exercise in logistics or demographic studies. Instead, he says planting churches requires focusing on equipping the local believers with all they will ever need: the Word of God and the Holy Spirit.
Please use the link above to jump over to Examiner.com and read the rest of the article.
Examiner.com article: Sunday 101: What is the house of God?
I’ve published another article on Examiner.com as the Raleigh Practical Christianity Examiner. The article is called “Sunday 101: What is the house of God?”
This is the second article in a series called “Sunday 101.”
This article is about the label “house of God.” Unfortunately, too many believers today use the phrase “house of God” to refer to church buildings. This is a deviation from what we find in Scripture.
Here is part of my article:
I was driving home last week when I noticed a sign in front of a church building near our house. The sign read, “Welcome to the House of God!” I’ve seen signs such as this both outside and inside church building all around the Raleigh area.
Unfortunately, the sign indicates a radical deviation from the teachings of the New Testament…
The authors of Scripture tell us that the Old Testament era temples were shadows of the real temple and the real house of God.
Please use the link above to jump over to Examiner.com and read the entire article.
Examiner.com article: Who will give the State of the Church address?
I’ve published another article on Examiner.com as the Raleigh Practical Christianity Examiner. The new article is called “Who will give the State of the Church address?”
(In reality, I could have also asked, “To whom would the State of the Church address be given?”)
I was prompted to write this article after President Obama gave the State of Union address yesterday, and after thinking about the division in the church today.
Here is part of the article:
I’ve read recently that many pastors are planning to give a State of the Church address this Sunday. One problem with this is that most (perhaps all?) are focusing on their little corner of the church. Yes, I mean “little†even for the largest megachurches. The church is larger than any local group of believers.
Please use the link above to read the entire article (it’s short – only 300 words).
Examiner.com article: Koinonia Foundation helps Christians serve their community
I’ve published another article on Examiner.com as the Raleigh Practical Christianity Examiner. The article is called “Koinonia Foundation helps Christians serve their community.”
This article is about a group of Christians in the Wake Forest, NC area – just north of Raleigh – who work together to help individuals and organizations who need additional support. I’m hoping to publish several articles about Christians around the Raleigh area who are working to serve their communities, the United States, and the world.
Here is an excerpt from my article:
The Koinonia Foundation was founded in 1990 by a Sunday school class of Wake Forest Baptist Church. The foundation quickly expanded its charter to include all caring and concerned Christians regardless of denomination. Since it was founded over twenty years ago, the Koinonia Foundation has helped hundreds of families and numerous organizations in the Wake Forest area.
Please jump to my article (it’s short) and read about how this foundation is working with others to help their community.
Examiner.com article: Sunday 101 – What is church?
I’ve published a new article on Examiner.com as the Raleigh Practical Christianity Examiner. The article is called “Sunday 101: What is church?”
This article is the first in a series of articles that I plan to publish on Examiner.com on the weekends. The series will focus on the essence and nature of the church, as well as related topics such as church leadership and church gatherings.
Here is a snippet from this article:
For most Christians, Sunday revolves around church. But, what is church? When we are discussing the meaning of the English word “church,†there are many answers to that question.
According to one dictionary, the English term “church†can mean 1) a group of Christians who have their own beliefs and forms of worship (i.e., a denomination), 2) a place for public (especially Christian) worship, 3) a service conducted in a house of worship, or 4) the body of people who attend or belong to a particular local church…
Please use the link above to jump to the article on Examiner.com.
Examiner.com article: Week of Prayer for Christian Unity is January 18-25, 2011
I’ve published another article at Examiner.com as the “Raleigh Practical Christianity Examiner.” The article is called “Week of Prayer for Christian Unity is January 18-25, 2011.”
As the title suggests, this article highlights this week, which has been set aside as a time to pray for unity among Christians.
Here is one paragraph from the article:
It would be a stretch for anyone to suggest that Jesus’ followers are united today. In fact, many groups and denominations of Christians specialize in separating from their brothers and sisters in Christ. Can anything be done about this?
Please use the link above to read this short article.