Theology of Transformation
As church leaders, we long to see transformation in the lives of people, our church, and our city. Alton Garrison of the Assemblies of God says “Our mission is not complete until we have seen people have life change.” The word from the Scriptures often associated with transformation is “metamorphosis.” It communicates lasting and irreversible […]
Ignorance: A Barrier to Worship
Seeking satisfaction in the wrong wells and harboring unconfessed sin prohibit the worship that honors God and replenishes our souls. So, too, does ignorance. Jesus confronts and corrects this problem in the life of the Samaritan woman: “Our fathers worshiped on this mountain, but you say that in Jerusalem is the place where people ought […]
Spiritual Mock Prison
In the early 1970s, a social scientist named Philip Zimbardo led a team of scientists from Stanford University in an interesting experiment. The team built a mock prison in the basement of the University’s psychology department. The scientists placed advertisements in the local papers looking for volunteers who would participate in the experiment. Zimbardo and […]
Designing for Spiritual Growth
Church leaders must craft opportunities where people will encounter the grace of God. Simple church leaders are designers, not programmers. They excel in designing a ministry process that leads to spiritual growth and vitality. Spiritual growth is a process. It always has been. Thus, it would make sense for church leaders to design their churches […]
Reflecting the Character of God
As a former youth pastor, I learned what makes parents proud. Parents love to hear how their children reflect them . . . He looks so much like you. She has your eyes. She has your intelligence. He has your business savvy. She definitely has your athletic ability. I see you in him every time I […]
A Holy Cause and Effect
Cause and Effect — [kawz-uh nd-i-fekt] adjective — noting a relationship between actions or events such that one or more are the result of the other or others. Kids learn about cause and effect every year in elementary school. The learning is deemed critical because understanding cause and effect helps children make wise choices. For example, kids […]
Do We Worship the Creation or the Creator?
On May 27, 2009, the world’s largest worship venue opened in Arlington, Texas, a suburb of Dallas. With close to 30,000 parking spaces, the ability to hold 110,000 people, a state-of-the-art sound system, and a gigantic center-hung, high-definition television screen that measures 160 x 72 feet, it is the perfect location to gather, sing, shout, […]
Trust in the Father
Jesus utilized children as an object lesson for true faith. He told the crowd of adults that they must become like children to enter the kingdom of heaven (Matt. 18:2–3). What was His point? What was He suggesting? Children are extremely trusting, often too trusting. When Jesus invited children to come to Him, they eagerly […]
Transformed Affections
Jonathan Edwards preached during the first Great Awakening, the greatest revival in American history. God used him uniquely, and many people came to faith in Christ through his ministry. But several years later many believed that some who claimed to have become Christians during the Great Awakening were not true disciples. There was no change, […]
Transformation Is Only Possible Through Jesus
Discipleship apart from Jesus is nontransformational. It may bring changes, but it essentially leaves you in the same spiritual state as it found you. The discipleship may provide education, improve behavior, increase happiness, add value, or make the disciple more skilled at a craft. But these are just changes. It’s the reskinning of the same […]