By Larry Bubb I was the youth pastor at a San Diego church for a few years. One of the youth I had the privilege of encouraging was Andy Shirley, who would ask me questions about playing guitar and writing songs. He went off to college and changed his name (as many musicians do these … Continue reading Beautiful Letdowns: Redeeming Car Wrecks
By Dave Hopwood I was thinking about the Bible and how to communicate it a bit more effectively. A few years ago they reissued different bits of the Bible and they invited famous authors to write introductions to each separate book. But I reckon that’s not enough. An introduction with someone’s opinions and thoughts about … Continue reading Making the Bible Better?
By Renee Johnson “He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful” (John 15:2). “Hook up or get out.” That’s what my brother always says to me. What he really meant is… don’t mess around. Isn’t … Continue reading Hook Up or Get Out: God’s Prescription for Holiness
By Caitlin Woodward Give yourself away. Inspired, yet? Give yourself away… now. Motivated to do something? Anything? Why is it difficult for Americans to be selfless? What is that wall that prevents us from sharing with others? Whether it’s our possessions or ourselves, we need an earthquake to shake our apathy. Literally. Most times we … Continue reading Russ Lee of NewSong Gives Himself Away
By Ian Kirk With the celebration of the birthday of Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr., we see where Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr. is used to bolster movements and causes that he did not specifically speak on. For example, in Raleigh-Durham, NC, a gay rights activist is torqued that a pastor who preaches a historical … Continue reading Shaping Jesus: A Reflection on Martin Luther King, Jr.
By Jeff Goins, Editor Let’s face it: Christianity in the Western world is quickly changing. If you’ve had a conversation with an average person on the street about what she believes about God or religion, it shouldn’t surprise you to hear that she probably doesn’t have regard for those topics. More and more people don’t … Continue reading Faith, Hope, and Love in the 21st Century: A Manifesto?
By Claire Pritchard In October I was living out my dream. I had taken my first trip to Africa and was living with 20 other missionaries in a village in central Ghana. We were planting a church. One night after we had hosted a party for the local children at our house, myself and one … Continue reading Worship without Walls
By Tim Chermak The end justifies the means. Or does it? As people of faith, whether we identify ourselves with Christianity, Buddhism, Islam, Hinduism, even Atheism, this is a question we must continually wrestle with. It’s easy to say the end justifies the means; it’s easy to say the means justifies the end. It’s hard … Continue reading The Myth of Education (How to Really Change the World)