I have been going through the Threads Study, Chase the Lion, by Mark Batterson. The premise of the study is based on 2 Samuel 23:20-23 about a guy named Benaiah who went down into a pit on a snowy day and ended up killing a lion. Bizarre? I know. I thought so too. It is not every day you hear a story like Benaiah’s. What I am learning through a guy like Benaiah is that at some point in our lives we are going to be up against a huge lion. It appears that the odds are stacked against us. Don’t you think Benaiah thought so too? … [Read more...]
Battling Unbelief: Why I choose to believe
I have a big wooden word sitting on my desk as I do Threads work every day here in Nashville. It’s seven letters, all caps, and it screams at you as you walk in the door: BELIEVE. Just about every person who walks through my door points to it and asks me about it. “Jim, what is that supposed to mean?” Believe in God? Believe in the power of Jesus Christ? Believe in a better tomorrow? Believe in Santa Claus? Believe in Threads? Believe in Young Adult Ministry? Actually, it means all of those things. And yes, I do … [Read more...]
Cheap Travel Tricks
Travelers are no fools, but they and their money are often easily parted. Still, you can get up and go without spending more moola than you have to. Local transport. “Use public transportation. That’s what the locals do,” says Michele Perry, a travel expert with tripadvisor.com. You’ll save on car rentals and the headache of finding parking. “Public transportation, whatever it may be—train, rickshaw, subway—is always cheaper than doing it yourself,” Fodors’ Doug Stallings adds. … [Read more...]
Dealing With Our Sin - Part 3
Short-term Missions, Lifelong Change
An hour into a Louisiana morning the rooftop heats up under-knee, and Meredith Jolly props a roofing nail on point atop a shingle. It’s day three on a World Changers project and the college junior is hammering out the early hours on the roof of a worn-down house in Baton Rouge. She’s joined by other volunteers from First Baptist Church, as they bring a house back to life. Meredith has worked on roofs with World Changers in six states, and every year she returns to the worksites with even more excitement about spending a … [Read more...]
Starting a Small Group Ministry
Starting a small group ministry will move your church members beyond “doing church” to “being the church.” And when followers of Jesus are being the church, those not-yet-followers of Christ can’t help but notice (Acts 2:47). There are six important steps to starting a healthy small group ministry. Determine what you want your groups to accomplish so you can conclude what kinds of groups will make up your Small Group Ministry. In Bill Donahue’s book, “Leading Life-Changing Small … [Read more...]
Dealing With Our Sin - Part 2
The Effect of Sin on Leadership
Two weeks ago on a Sunday morning, I sat immobilized in a chair, unable to get to church because of a fully locked lower back and unable to focus on reading because of the lingering effect of muscle relaxants. My options were limited, so I flipped on the television, hit the guide button, and hoped I would find an engaging movie to keep me from thinking about the fact that I should have been at church. I found the message I needed to see on HBO. (Yes, I did say HBO.) It was a documentary entitled “The Trials of Ted … [Read more...]
The Nashville Rescue Mission: Serving Up Some Breakfast Perspective
Whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of Mine, you did for Me. Matthew 25:40 On any given workday, at least one person comes into my office asking questions or enlisting me to help with a new project or team. So it came as no surprise last month when my coworker Tim Huffine dropped in holding a piece of paper. “Hey, want to join a few of us in serving breakfast at the Nashville Rescue Mission one day next month?” he asked. It sounded like a worthwhile item to add to my schedule, so I immediately … [Read more...]
Reconnecting with College Students Home on Summer Break
In 1940, author Thomas Wolfe declared, “You can’t go home again,” and yet, every summer, thousands of college students make a valiant effort to prove him wrong. Summer provides a unique opportunity for ministry, but as students return and attempt to readjust to life at home, integrating them back into your group is often easier said than done. As the school year ends and homecomings ensue, be sure to keep these keys in mind as you seek to reconnect with your returnees. Be strategic in your approach. First, … [Read more...]
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