I mentioned a thought-provoking article on Sunday that I promised I would share on my website this week. The author of the article, Chad Bird, argues that when we are called into a relationship with God, it is not so much about a personal relationship with Jesus but is much more accurately described as a…
Tag: Christian Living
Reflections on a Boston Massacre
I have been heart-broken to see the images and hear the stories coming out of one of my favorite adoptive towns. Boston is a city that I spent a lot of time in during my eight years in Massachusetts and a city that Karen and I came to love immensely. Yesterday was just the latest…
Saving Daylight
(You can watch the message from March 10, 2013 here, called….yeah, Saving Daylight) What are you doing with your time? If I were to ask you where your time is spent each day, unless your life is simply consumed by just one or two things, you probably would have a tough time accounting for all…
A Church That Fails to Pray…
(This post is re-published from the March edition of Road Signs, the monthly informational newsmag of The Gathering, Chattanooga.) A church that fails to pray, fails. I believe this statement and am coming to understand it more and more. How easy it is to become so busy that the very thing that empowers our efforts…
Your Serve
I meant to post this here earlier in the month of February, but this is article from our monthly RoadSigns mag: Quick question: Why are you here? No, not why are you on this earth…why are you at this church? Or any church for that matter? Does it make you feel good? Is it sort…
You can say you believe many things, but you really only believe those things put into action. dp
When God Goes Missing
Do you ever feel as though there are things God doesn’t see? If my actions are any indication, I must. Sometimes I feel as though injustices happen and God just misses or seems to ignore it. Those are the times I want to (and too often do) call “foul!” really loudly so someone will see…
On Mission
The report yesterday on the mission day in Atlanta was awesome. I’m excited about the opportunities that lie ahead for The Gathering. So many important doors are being opened and it’s incredible to watch our people excited about walking through them. On Saturday, we had 7 people join with a great team from Birchwood Baptist…
Hypocrisy
The charge of hypocrisy is the one I most often hear levied against the Church and used as an excuse by those who want no part of it. “I don’t want to hang out with a bunch of hypocrites” This is often the claim made by those who fail to realize that that statement is…
Real Community
I’ve been thinking about the real purpose of church and what we’re supposed to be about. Ultimately, of course, it’s to glorify Christ by making disciples (Matt. 28:19-20), but how do we do that together…as a church; a family? Hebrews 10:24-25 came to mind: 24 And let us consider how to stir up one another to…
A Rant.
I’ve been thinking a lot about the state of The Gathering and where we’re going and how we will get there. I am incredibly encouraged by the spirit of the people who currently make up this Body and the excitement that is present about our future. There is a focus on the Mission here that…
2010: Year of the Mission
I met with our Mission One:Eight Team this past Wednesday night and left so encouraged and excited about the coming year at The Gathering. God has moved in some pretty big ways over the last couple of months, removing the inward focus that largely characterized what this church has been, bringing a fresh wind of…
Church, 7 Days a Week
Love this video. Don’t know where this church is, but if they’re also preaching the Gospel like they seem to be living it, they’ve got it going on. This needs to become the goal of The Gathering (and every other New Testament church for that matter).
The Depths of the Cross
Living in a world where misguided terrorists regularly commit suicide, killing not only themselves but countless others along with them in order to become “martyrs” for Allah, Chambers puts the death of Christ in perspective, standing in stark contrast not only to those mass murderers who die in vain, but even those who willingly give their lives for others and the cause of Christ
C.S. Lewis on Pride
I was re-acquainted this morning with an excerpt from C.S. Lewis’ classic work, Mere Christianity. I think it is so profound, I want to share with you the entire section on the subject of Pride: According to Christian teachers, the essential vice, the utmost evil, is Pride. Unchastity, anger, greed, drunkenness, and all that, are…
The Circle of Love – 1 John 5:1-5
If you can get past John’s mental gymnastics, you’ll find a pretty simple concept in 1 John 5:1-5: The love of God and the love of others is so entwined that you cannot have one without the other. To get a little more complex in my explanation (as does John to a further degree), as…
Fear, Itself. – 1 John 4:18-21
I’ve really had to chew on this passage and, to some degree, am continuing to chew as I write to see if what I’m thinking makes sense. John says in 1 John 4:18 that, “there is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear.” Honestly, I think that verse is often used divorced…
Can I Get A Witness? – 1 John 4:13-17
I had the opportunity to talk with a young lady after worship yesterday who is dealing with a lot of spiritual issues. In tears, she said to me that she felt lost. I asked in what sense she meant that and she told me that it seemed she was adrift at sea without any direction. …
When Love Isn’t Love – 1 John 4:7-12
You know what I get tired of? Religious people who go to church and do all the stuff they’re supposed to, but give them half a chance and they rail on somebody. I get tired of people who talk about the love of God, but never seem to show it; never seem to demonstrate grace…
Spiritual Anarchy – 1 John 3:1-10
If you’ve been following this running commentary on 1 John, I’m sorry I was unable to post on Friday or Saturday. Friday I was out of town and could not get on a computer and Saturday we had a break-in at the church and my day was tied from early til late (and I choose…
The Deception of Righteousness – 1 John 2:26-29
“I’m basically a good person.” Number 1 answer given for the question, “Why do you think you should be allowed in heaven?” The belief that doing good things is enough for salvation is probably one of Satan’s biggest attempts to keep us from Christ. Strange, isn’t it? Satan doesn’t want you to be bad…he wants…
