Not Your Mama's Religion

Leading As An Artist

Tue, 16 Dec 2008 20:00:00 PST

Along the lines of "The Dynamic Tension Between Artists & Leaders" is this follow-up article, posted by Tim Stevens on his blog. A good friend of his, Jason Miller is a pastor at Granger Community Church who regularly teaches and leads worship. He emailed Tim with some additional thoughts on the dynamics between artists and leaders...

How Former Witches Celebrate Halloween

Wed, 29 Oct 2008 21:00:00 PDT

From crosswalk.com: If you are looking for lurid tales of infant sacrifice or ritual rapes of 13-year-old virgins, you won't find them recounted here. Those horrors may have happened somewhere on October 31st, but the tragedy remembered by some former witches is that Halloween traditions and symbols often can provide too handy of a gateway to the occult. And some children are simply spiritually unprotected because no one ever prays for them. But Halloween doesn't have to be a trapdoor to hell. And many former witches don't want to see the holiday left in Satan's hands to be used for his own purposes. They want to see the day redeemed. And if not redeemed, then they would like to see the trapdoor a lot less child-friendly.

How to Share Your Faith Without Seeming Arrogant

Wed, 07 Jan 2009 20:00:00 PST

From Christian Author John Shore: In response to my post Evangelist or Ego Driven Meddler?, a reader asked if I had any tips on how to keep your ego in check while evangelizing. My first Big Tip would be not to �share� your religious convictions with anyone who hasn�t first asked you to do that. Your strongest passion cannot change the fact that no one cares what someone whom they don�t know thinks they should do with their own heart and mind.

5 Things Everyone Should Know About Evolution

Tue, 09 Dec 2008 20:00:00 PST

(from blogsite Rational Christianity) 5 Things Everyone Should Know About Evolution

God as a Father?

Tue, 02 Sep 2008 21:00:00 PDT

Can you relate to God if you didn't have a good relationship with your birth father?

The Man Who Lived Just Like Jesus For A Year

Mon, 05 Jan 2009 20:00:00 PST

From ABC's Good Morning America: It's one thing to follow the teachings of Jesus, but it's another thing to try to eat like him, talk like him, look like him, even vote like him. After reading the book "A Year of Living Biblically," by A.J. Jacobs, former pastor Ed Dobson decided to devote a year trying to live as Jesus did, based on what is written about him in the Bible and other historical documents. "I read that book a little over a year ago, and I thought, well, if a secular Jew could do this, certainly a follower of Jesus could," Dobson said today on "Good Morning America Weekend." Dobson, the vice president of spiritual formation at Cornerstone University in Grand Rapids, Mich., said he did not shave, ate kosher, observed the Sabbath and read through the gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John every week.

How to Use the Bailout to Ask your Parents for Money

Thu, 02 Oct 2008 21:00:00 PDT

So the big banks screwed up and they got bailed out by the government...sound familiar? like how you just spent all your money on clothes you don't need and forgot to pay your rent, or how the job you thought would cover your expenses is falling way short. Couldn't you use a government (say your parents) to bail you out too. Learn how to use the bailout to ask your parents for money.

Faveur Indie Clothing

Mon, 22 Sep 2008 21:00:00 PDT

A look at Faveur Indie Clothing. Each of their shirts tell a story from the Bible.

Which comes first: your peoples or J.C.

Mon, 19 May 2008 21:00:00 PDT

Do you like "contemporary Christian" music? You have a few jams... Have you ever been to a white church? Once or twice but you didn't really like it... Why? What about your culture and personal background has impacted your relationship with God? or what about that background has kept you from pursuing a relationship with God?

Outlawing Abortion

Mon, 22 Sep 2008 21:00:00 PDT

Poll: Do you believe that abortion should be outlawed by the government?

Knowing God's Will

Sun, 07 Dec 2008 20:00:00 PST

As we go through life and grow as Christians, we should be aiming to live our lives in line with God's will. But first we have to know what that is...that can be tough at times, but not impossible.

A Mighty Fortress is our God - American Gangster Clip

Tue, 02 Sep 2008 21:00:00 PDT

video from the Denzel Washington movie "American Gangster"

Horus: Is Jesus' life story a copy?

Mon, 06 Oct 2008 21:00:00 PDT

In Bill Maher�s movie Religulous, he tells the story of the Egyptian god Horus. Some say that the life of Horus closely mirrors the life of Jesus and could have been used by the writers of the gospel to form the story of Jesus� life. What are the similarities? Are they valid?

The Dark Highway

Sun, 01 Jun 2008 21:00:00 PDT

This is the testimony of Dana Plair. She was in a major car crash that almost killed her. How did that experience change her life? What did she learn from it? Read her story.

Gotta Have It?

Tue, 31 Aug 2004 21:00:00 PDT

Just flipping the channel to BET can send you on trip in the sexual area. Let the video stars tell it, everybody is having sex and nobody's doing it the old-fashioned way: after marriage.

Rebuke the devil and he will flee??

Tue, 28 Oct 2008 21:00:00 PDT

Defeating the devil doesn't start with a rebuke or shouting out, "Satan I bind you in the Name of Jesus!!!" It takes more than TV preacher tricks. It takes more than magic words or simple formulas. It takes resisting the devil by unleashing the power of God surging through your soul. It takes a strong relationship with Jesus.

Michael...

Tue, 30 Jun 2009 21:00:00 PDT

Millions around the planet continue to ponder and wrestle with the painful reality that the King of Pop has died. A reality that is all too soon, way too unbelievable and unmistakably devastating for his family, friends, the music and artistic industries, and the millions of fans he's left behind around the world.

Paying Your Mortgage or Giving Your Tithe?

Tue, 30 Jun 2009 21:00:00 PDT

From ThinkChristian.net: A couple of months ago, ESPN did a story on professional athletes and their tithing habits. Famous boxer Evander Holyfield was one of the athletes profiled. He's given millions of dollars to his church (which faces some controversy of its own, but let's set that aside for now). At the same time, his mansion in Georgia went into foreclosure. When questioned about why he would pay his tithe before his mortgage he said: "Because I know that tithe, me paying that tithe, it's going to better me off in the long run." The Bible talks about both paying debt and tithes, but if you were in the same situation as Holyfield, what would you do? Which would you pay first?

Light A Fire In The Church!

Tue, 30 Jun 2009 21:00:00 PDT

I want to light a fire in the church. I want to become the Willow Creek or Granger of [our area]. How do you start? What steps do you take to begin the journey from here to there?

Evolution and Creation

Tue, 09 Dec 2008 20:00:00 PST

Evolution and Creationism have been fighting for years to prove who knows best about how the world began. But, do they really need to fight? Do they really contradict each other? We may never know the real answer for how everything was created, but the two prevailing theories could in fact be one amazing theory that speaks to God�s love and genius.

Being a Christian Without Loving God

Sat, 22 Nov 2008 20:00:00 PST

In conversations, sermons, and songs, we often hear about loving God and feeling His love for us. But have you ever felt like, based on the way others speak, that they feel God's love or love Him much more than you do? Is it more of a guy thing because some guys have more difficulty connecting emotionally? Or is it just that other people are stronger Christians??

Alisha the Agnostic

Tue, 07 Oct 2008 21:00:00 PDT

Have friends who believe in "a higher power" but not our God of the Bible specifically. Learn more about what they believe and how to share your faith with them.

WWJAF: What Would Jesus Ask For?

Mon, 29 Dec 2008 20:00:00 PST

I was reading the other day in the book of John, chapter 11. It�s the story of Lazarus, the friend of Jesus, brother to Martha and Mary, who became sick and died. He died while Jesus was away, and Jesus deliberately delayed coming to see him, in order that God might get credit when He raised Lazarus from the dead. What stuck out to me this time as I read that passage was not Jesus' reaction (i.e. His delay) or even Martha telling Jesus that had He been there, her brother would not have died. It was that she KNEW that God would give Jesus anything that He asked for (John 11:21-22). How did she know? After seeing Jesus perform miracles and teach, she believed that He was the Messiah. She was banking on the fact that if Jesus asked God for Lazarus' life back, God would return it to Him. This struck me because Jesus says to us, Ask for anything in My name, and it will be granted to you. My question to you is this: What would Jesus ask for?

The Dynamic Tension Between Artists & Leaders

Tue, 16 Dec 2008 20:00:00 PST

About the dynamic tension that exists between artists and senior leaders in a church or Christian fellowship.

You Know You Go To a Megachurch if...

Wed, 01 Oct 2008 21:00:00 PDT

Do you go to a megachurch? Here are some signs!