Tag: prayer

The Early Bird Gets The Link

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The Early Bird Gets The Link is a daily roundup of interesting and thought provoking articles, videos, or audio clips.

Four Reasons to Welcome Smartphone Use in the Worship Service

Before I get to the specifics of the post, allow me a couple of caveats. I’m not saying people should be piddling away on their smartphones in the worship service. If you can’t have your phone out and refrain from playing games or catching up on email during a worship service, then keep it put away. 

Silence Can Be Deadly!

Silence fuels rumors. They make up stories. They stretch and fabricate what the little they do know. Fear, tension, and frustrations rise. Even those who were once fully invested often become discouraged. Morale is injured and enthusiasm wanes.

Does Prayer Change God’s Mind?

Does prayer make any difference? Does it really change anything? Someone once asked me that question, only in a slightly different manner: “Does prayer change God’s mind?” My answer brought storms of protest. I said simply, “No.”

Moms, Don’t Trust Your Fickle Feelings

This is truth, even for the brothers in Christ. “Sisters in Christ, whatever season we’re in, whatever kind of nurturing work we’re doing, and however long our season lasts, life in Christ is our new normal. And it will still be 30 trillion years from now.”

Can I Be Sure I’m Saved If Persevering Is the Proof?

Good question. 

To Share The Message 

This recent message by Pastor Thabiti from the book of Titus is worth listening to. Some questions for reflective meditation I had during and after hearing this sermon:

Does my life reflect I believe the power of the Gospel to save sinners?

If so why don’t I share the Gospel more often?

The Early Bird Gets The Link

On By joshnnomiIn Around the WebLeave a comment

The Early Bird Gets The Link is a daily roundup of interesting and thought provoking articles, videos, or audio clips.
How Sould We Speak to Our Culture About Sex?

Tim Keller, Russell Moore and Kevin DeYoung discuss the topic. 

https://vimeo.com/170164938 

Wait to Date Until You Can Marry

The spiritual war for our hearts is real, and the stakes are high, so it’s critical to ask why we think we should date in the first place. Why did I have a girlfriend when I was twelve (and thirteen, and fourteen, and even eighteen)?

Is Not Voting an Option for Christians?

If the early church in the Roman empire had possessed the right to vote, would casting a ballot for Nero have been a God honoring choice? What about his rival Gaius Calpurnius Piso, who most would argue wasn’t as evil as Nero but was an adulterer and conspirator? The early church, despite their lack of rights, did not seem overly concerned who sat on the Roman throne, instead choosing to invest in Kingdom work that would last regardless of who was in charge of the empire. It leads me to think we might prioritize the same way.

Should We Help Believers Escape Persecution?

Do our churches, our sending agencies, and our organizations that study persecution know when to leave Joseph in Egypt? Despite our affection for Joseph, do we understand that ultimately Joseph belongs to God, and that God can do with him whatever he desires? Is it possible for us to become emotionally, psychologically, physically, and spiritually strong enough to know when to leave “our Joseph” with God in a seemingly dangerous place?

Prayer is Joining a Conversation Already in Progress

Prayer – amazingly, gloriously – is when we join a conversation already in progress.

Life Hacking Gone Wrong: The Story of Benjamin Franklin

This interview with Thomas Kidd by Tony Reinke is worth listening to. 

The Early Bird Gets The Link 

On By joshnnomiIn Around the WebLeave a comment

The Early Bird Gets The Link is a daily roundup of thought provoking and insightful articles from various sources. 

Are Young Evangelicals More Liberal Than Their Parents?
Interesting study. “The young, restless, and… liberal? Are younger evangelicals really more left-leaning than their parents? The easy answer is, “Of course they are! Look at how many of them are voting for pot legalization and driving those tiny cars!”

Signposts: Why Christians Must Keep Christianity Strange

The Gospel thrived in the 1st century, one reason is because the Gospel was radically different from all they were used to. Moore says “Only a strange gospel can differentiate itself from the culture around us. But the strange, freakish, foolish old gospel is what God uses to save sinners and to build the Church.”

Do You Pray Like a Nonbeliever?

So then, what is the difference? How should Christians pray? Do they not pray for these good things?

Four Types of Churches That Will Soon Die

In simple terms, there are four types of churches that will soon die. It is sad to watch the churches in these categories. Some congregations are in more than one category. And some are in all four.

5 Levels of Motivation for Overcoming Addiction

We want to, but we don’t. We’re motivated, but we’re not. We think we should, but wish people would just leave us alone. This mindset is called “ambivalence” – feeling two contradictory emotions about the same thing. Even if we didn’t know what ambivalence was, we’re good at it.

The Early Bird Gets The Link 

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A Prayer for the New School Year
Beyond what you do on the campuses and in the classrooms, please be at-work in the hearts and minds of our students and teachers.

On Being Persuasive

Learning how to persuade others winsomely is a skill that needs to be cultivated. As Proverbs 16:23 says, “The heart of the wise makes his speech judicious and adds persuasiveness to his lips.”

How Parenting Flies By

That’s how I feel about being a parent. My oldest daughter heads to college in a matter of days. Just when I felt I was finally getting the hang of being a parent, at least with our oldest, it’s over.

The 5 Worst Beliefs a Christian Parent Can Have in an Imploding Society

Today I want to highlight five of the worst beliefs we can have when our society is spiraling downward.

Religious Liberty, Not Religious Toleration

Religious liberty has been dying a slow death in recent years, and tragically religious leaders have largely been ambivalent. Religious toleration confines one’s faith to their thoughts whereas religious liberty is a commitment to live out one’s faith in every walk of life. 

The Idolatry of Race Part 1

Our created idols will inevitably lead us to idolatry, not to the worship of the one and true living God. And God will judge both the idol and the idolaters unless we repent.

The Early Bird Gets The Link 

On By joshnnomiIn Around the Web, UncategorizedLeave a comment

Fear and Faith by Trillia Newbill is only .99 for kindle. 

Why You Should Be Praying the Psalms
I believe that the most simple, permanent, and biblical solution to this almost universal problem is to stop making up your own prayers most of the time—because that results in repetitious prayer—and to pray the Bible instead.

2016 West Coast Conference: Audio and Video Now Available

There is always something good, I am looking forward to listening to the preconference: Digital Disciples

Does Carrying Signs Really Save Babies?

What about the people holding up signs outside of abortion clinics? The signs read “Babies Are Murdered Here.” While you likely agree with the words on the signs as you drive by the people holding them, perhaps they make you feel uncomfortable. “Is this the best way to stop abortion?” “Does it actually work? And even if it does, is there not perhaps a more efficient way to use our time, talents, and treasures to save babies?”

Born This Way

As Christians, how do we respond? This question is crucial. And for many of us it is not abstract, but personally painful. For not only do we live daily engaged in a war of resistance against our own sexual brokenness, but people very precious to us have anguished and struggled over disordered sexual orientations and desires and, not seeing change, have embraced this manifesto. And in our biblical convictions they often hear an unloving rejection of who they believe they are as persons. What do we say to them?

You Are Not Your Sexuality 

This is worth listening to. 

The Early Bird Gets The Link

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Check out my review of Un-Ashamed by Lecrae

My Breakthrough in Scripture Memory

When we learn the Scriptures by heart, we’re not just memorizing ancient, enduringly relevant texts, but we’re listening to and learning the voice of our Creator and Redeemer himself. When we memorize lines from the Bible, we are shaping our minds in the moment to mimic the structure and mindset of the mind of God.

Basic Principles for Bible Reading
Good video which provides some basic rules for interpreting scripture.

13 End Times Errors to Avoid

Unfortunately, believers often cycle through a stock list of end-times errors. These mistakes discredit gospel proclamation and rob Christians of the blessings and wisdom God gives from meditating on this area of truth. Here are 13 end-times errors to avoid.

Four Steps to Kill Nagging Sins

The gospel gives us hope that all sin, even nagging sins, can be both forgiven and subdued. But because sin has such persistence and power, we must be vigilant in our struggle against it. As John Owen puts it, “If sin be subtle, watchful, strong, and always at work in the business of killing our souls, and we be slothful, negligent, foolish . . . can we expect a comfortable event?”

A Gentle Political Recalibration

I wonder if we have forgotten this. It has become a custom of our day to take to social media to vent our concerns and attack politicians. How much quieter would Facebook and Twitter be if Christians were truly praying for and personally pursuing peaceable and quiet lives?

#NeverTrump has only just started

I have made no secret of the fact that I am a #NeverTrump guy. If you want to know my reasoning behind this, you can read it here. What I want to offer here is a handful of reflections on this moment.

The Early Bird Gets The Link

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Read One Page A Day

I love to read! I also realize others struggle with reading for various reasons. Here is a challenge for non-readers.

Follow Up Is Important 

The church of 225 in attendance had a high attendance day of 360, with 75 guests attending that single day. How many of the 75
joined the church? Only two.

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