Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the Devil. Matthew 4:1 For those unfamiliar with the liturgical calendar of the Christian church, one of the most important times of the year occurs during the 40 days leading up to Easter—a season called Lent. For Christians who take this season seriously, Lent is more than giving up chocolate; it’s a time of sober reflection on the sacrifice of Jesus; a time when we internalize Christ’s life and death by practicing self-denial and self-reflection. During … [Read more...]
3 Practical Ideas for Reaching Young Adults
One of the most popular questions we hear from church leaders is: What outreach ideas do you have for reaching young adults? Let's cut right to the ideas, but keep in mind that a healthy and balanced young adult ministry plan should have one or more of Threads’ four markers of ministry—Community, Depth, Responsibility, and Connection—at its core. Hold a community sports event. Since it’s March Madness time, we feel obliged to start with the idea of creating a basketball tournament in your community. It’s a great way to impact our … [Read more...]
Break the Ice: Three Thoughts on Sharing Faith
Frozen. It’s not just the name of a new movie about sisterly love…it’s also that word which describes how we often respond to uncomfortable situations. I’m going to put myself out there (hoping I’m not the only one) but one of the spaces where I most often experience frozenness (is that even a word) is in sharing my faith. You know, in a line at the grocery store and the person behind you points over to the magazine rack and comments on some headline related to Christianity or you have a neighbor or classmate ask about how you … [Read more...]
Are You Destined for the Hall of Faith?
Ever had one of those days? You know, one of those days when you super glue your rings together, dent the tailgate of your car, and broke your parents' garage door — none of it on purpose and all in the same hour? Yesterday, I had one of those days. I hate making "mistakes." They make me feel careless and imperfect to control my surroundings and actions. But yesterday happened anyway, and in it, I was reminded that I'm not above my humanity, and I'll never be perfect. It's the kind of humble pie that isn't so easy to … [Read more...]
Do You Stand Up For Christ? :: Acts 4:13, 18-20
Before and after photos are fascinating, and weight loss photos are some of the most dramatic. The hit NBC show "The Biggest Loser" has shown us just how shocking such a transformation can be. When you view the before and after photos of the show's finalists, it's sometimes hard to believe they're the same person. That's what it's like to look at Peter in the Book of Acts compared to Peter in the Gospels. For all of his faith and love for Jesus, in the Gospels he's impulsive and often motivated by his emotions; he displayed fear and … [Read more...]
Walk With God
Now that we have an idea of what our fears and hang-ups are in regards to leadership, and what godly leadership looks like in our own lives, we’re going to look at what Ezra can teach us about the lifelong process of honing our leadership skills as we walk with God. This includes aligning the desires of your heart with God’s desires for you, building and maintaining a reputation of integrity, and fostering genuine relationships with the people you’re called to lead. As with every other aspect of our Christian faith, … [Read more...]
3 Steps to a Healthier Prayer Life
Tell me if this scenario sounds familiar: You decide it's time to pray, so you close your eyes. Fifteen seconds in, out of nowhere, tomorrow's to-do list pops up and your thoughts are off on a tangent. Before long, you realize what's happening, and by sheer force of the will, you get back to business. Before you know it, it has happened again. Now you're definitely not praying, but doing a confused mix of worrying and problem solving. Then the guilt sets in. What's wrong with me? you think. I can't even sit down and pray for five … [Read more...]
Making Disciples Jesus’ Way
Have you ever been to a shooting range? Everyone is trying to hit the bull’s-eye. How do we, as ministers, know if we’re hitting the mark and “winning” in discipleship? The BCNet discipleship team questioned 107 college ministers across the United States. We asked them seven open-ended questions regarding their discipleship strategy. One survey question was “What is your vision/strategy for discipleship?” and we received the following results: 29% teaching by mentoring and one-on-one relationship … [Read more...]
A Reason to Pray: Beyond the How to the Why
I can't recall when the change happened. I just know that over the years my approach to prayer has shifted. I now find myself wanting to pray, not just grudgingly knowing I should pray. I have come to see talking to God as not only a duty but also a delight. The transformation has had to do in part with a simple yet profound discovery: As I pray, I give attention not only to the “what” but also the “why” of prayer. Going deeper in prayer has meant looking closely at the bigger picture, remembering that I come … [Read more...]
Rosh Hashanah
Editor’s Note: Three of the major feasts of the Jewish calendar occur in September and October. Embracing these feasts, and the principles upon which they are built, reminds Christians of their heritage and ultimately point squarely to the gospel. If you’re interested in learning more about the links between Judaism and Christianity, and finding Christ sitting at the table of tradition, check out Feast, a Bible study from Threads by Derek Leman. Rosh Hashanah, like many Jewish traditions, can be confusing. The name Rosh … [Read more...]