Category: Level: Intermediate

A Vision For Community – Teaching Relationships In Our Churches And Schools

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Since Christianity is a relational faith and since Jesus said loving God and others are the greatest commandments it would make sense for churches and schools to teach classes focused on building healthy relationships. Many churches have classes for healthy marriages which is great, but what is needed even more is teaching on all types of relationships. Christians should become masters of relating to co-workers, neighbors, authorities, new acquaintances as well as friends and relatives. Christians should become skilled at saying the right thing at the right time. We should know how to speak words that resolve conflict and encourage others. People should remember us as someone who brings good things into their lives. Here are some ideas for creating a curriculum for building relationship relationships. Five areas of study could be: 1. Biblical teachings on relationships. Students would study the various biblical passages on relationships. Key passages would include Continue Reading →

How Can We Reach the Lost in a Society in Spiritual Decline? – Lessons From History

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How Christianity Transforms People and Society: The Highest Priority for Engaging Our Culture Many believers are disturbed by the decline in their country (e.g. America, England, Germany) of an interest in Christianity or even in living healthy constructive lives. People seem to less able to form healthy relationships and don’t seem to seriously seek a transcendent life. This situation is not too different from what the Christians faced in the first three centuries of the Church. The early Christians did not take an adversarial approach to their society. Sometimes Christian writers would point out the sinfulness of their culture but they did not focus on this. Instead, they focused on living the Christian life. In other words, they had a different spiritual theology concerning social engagement. Perhaps one could refer to their approach as “magnetic engagement”: the Church focused on drawing people by living attractive lives. A few believers were Continue Reading →

Augustine on the Fulfillment and End of Scripture for Believers, i.e., the Center of His Spiritual Theology

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Here is an inspirational excerpt from Philip Schaff’s translation of Augustine’s On Christian Doctrine. In these sections Augustine makes it clear that his view of the fulfillment of God’s word is love of God and love of neighbor. I believe it is the center of his spiritual theology. This is a contrast to other early Christian writers who emphasized knowledge of God as preeminent. This was probably influenced by Plato’s similar emphasis on knowledge as the highest good of the soul. Augustine is also a contrast to the famous Westminster Catechism that states the “chief end of man is to glorify God and enjoy Him forever.” While there is obvious overlap the emphasis is different in Augustine, since love is a more focused view and leads to different Christian living. (For those who are new to Augustine he is arguably the most influential Christian writer and theologian in history. He Continue Reading →

Think Like A Missionary – Appeal to Their Desires

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If your culture seems resistant to Jesus remember to think about what they desire that Jesus fulfills. This is what some missionaries do. So you can ask people: “What if there was a religion that:” 1. Didn’t require any particular organization 2. The writings were in everyday language the average person can understand 3. Isn’t based on people trying to figure out the truth, but on God’s revelation in historical events 4. Is centered on fairness and love 5. Is centered on healthy relationships 6. You don’t have to earn salvation with great works 7. Teaches us to treat all people with respect and courtesy 8. Is not elitist and doesn’t require leaving society to be spiritually advanced. The last shall be first and the first shall be last. 9. God will restore loving community one day and keep out destructive people. By asking these questions you let people decide Continue Reading →

“Spiritual” Ways we Avoid Biblical Fellowship

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We naturally fear revealing ourselves to others and showing weakness, but scripture makes fellowship a top priority. And biblical fellowship means revealing our burdens so others can help carry them, and revealing where we are discouraged so others can encourage us. Leaders are not exempt. Yet it is very easy to let other spiritual activities drown out our efforts at biblical fellowship and relationship. We may be sincerely looking for fellowship with God and transformation but we find it very slow going on our own. Some of the ways we avoid biblical relationship are: worship, prayer, bible study groups, talking about spiritual things, more talking, busyness, ministering to others, and meetings. If we commit ourselves to finding true “friendship fellowship” we will find what we are looking for much faster. See John 13, Rom 12, Ephesians 4, Col. 3, I Cor 12-14, and more. Overcoming A Fault That’s Beyond Your Continue Reading →