Category: Level: Intermediate

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We Are Rejected By Our Society

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Pharoah’s daughter found the Jewish infant Moses and adopted him as her son. But when Moses grew up he chose to keep his Jewish identity rather than his Egyptian identity. Obviously, Moses’ life would have been much more prosperous and enjoyable if he had chosen to be related to the Pharaoh of Egypt. But something even better gripped his heart. He wanted to be part of the people of God. He was “choosing rather to be mistreated with the people of God than to enjoy the fleeting pleasures of sin.” (Heb. 11:25, ESV) This is where Moses’ story becomes our story and guides us to Christian living in an unchristian culture, where we are rejected by our society. Moses believed that belonging to God and fellowshiping with His people had to be superior to belonging to Pharaoh and his people. But this was a dangerous idea. The Jewish people were Continue Reading →

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Using Relationships In Evangelism – Part 2

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Last week we talked about using relationships in evangelism, especially with friends who are not saved. We explained that the nature of healthy relationships points to God and how he relates to us, as well as how he wants us to relate with others. Below is a discussion one might have with a seeker, using relationships in evangelism to them. You may be able to collect some ideas for the next discussion you have with a friend who will talk about the meaning of life, but who may not listen to a direct evangelistic message. Many seekers want to understand a relationship with God before they pursue following Jesus. Using relationships in evangelism is a non-threatening way to point someone toward Christ. “Think about someone you love very much and who also loves you. If you don’t have such a relationship think about the ideal relationship you would like to Continue Reading →

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Using Relationships In Evangelism – Part 1

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I got into a debate online with someone who was complaining about God ordering the death of some people in the Old Testament. We went back and forth until finally I explained that the root reason for God’s judgment was that the people were destroying relationships. They had embraced a destructive culture, even to the point of sacrificing infants to their idols. The other person didn’t respond to my comment. What could he say? This is an example of discussing Christian principles of relationships in evangelism, showing that Jesus is the way to healthy relationships. Usually, when we think of apologetics in evangelism, we think of presenting evidence related to facts of the Christian faith. But sometimes apologetics relates to values or ideas that listeners already embrace. For example, when Paul evangelized Gentiles he did not use the same ideas that he used with Jews. When he spoke to Gentiles Continue Reading →

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Jesus Brought Blessings For The Poor

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It is encouraging to remember that when Jesus came to earth he taught blessings for the poor from the very beginning of his ministry. Even before he was born, in Mary’s song to God when she is pregnant with the Messiah, a song we call the Magnificat, she proclaims, “he has filled the hungry with good things, and the rich he has sent away empty” (Luke 1:53, ESV). We also see that at the beginning of his ministry Jesus proclaimed these words: “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor.” (Luke 4:18 ESV) From these passages we know that the advent of blessings for the poor was an important part of the coming of the Kingdom of God. Jesus never promised to make the poor financially rich, but he did promise something better: to fill their hearts with spiritual wealth. Continue Reading →

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The Four Biggest Pitfalls Of Leadership (And Followship)

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Many years ago I was attending a really good church where the Holy Spirit was present and the people were genuinely seeking God. I was especially thankful because my previous church had just collapsed due to some unresolved issues between the pastor and the elders. Everything was going well at this new church, then one day I received a stunning message. The senior pastor had just left his wife and run off with the attractive worship leader, who left her husband to run off with the pastor.  The two of them had been spending a considerable amount of time together in ministry, and staff members expressed concern, but the pastor did not respond. This illustrates one of the big pitfalls of leadership. Over the years I have observed first-hand pastors and other leaders who fall into moral failure or severely restrict their effectiveness because of four different issues. Maybe there Continue Reading →