‘No Longer Slaves’ – A Cappella Worship Videos

http://www.godtube.com/watch/?v=YKYDGWNX&utm_source=GodTube%20Must-See%20Video&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=05/25/2017

Every Christian a Minister

by Eric Davis

We live in a day of outsourcing. As a society, we outsource things like our lawn, home improvement, childcare, shopping, cooking, and more. Sometimes this can be good, sometimes not so much.

When it comes to the Christian life, there is one thing that God has commanded us to not outsource; the work of the ministry. Every Christian is commanded by God to participate in this privileged work.

I’ve found that we often have an upside-down approach to ministry. We consider it like a football game in a stadium. The pastors and elders are sort of like the players out on the field. They are running plays, getting their jerseys dirty, and trying to push up and down the field to accomplish something. And many Christians view themselves like the fans in the stands. They consider themselves as committed for many reasons. They paid money to be there. They like the team. They attend fairly regularly. They are happy when the church leaders get something remarkable accomplished. They are entertained a bit by the leaders and their teaching.

Biblically speaking, however, the Christian life is not like that. In keeping with the football metaphor, the local church leaders are more like the team’s coaches and trainers (minus the temper). As such, they are called to work hard, study, stay ahead of things, and prioritize the care of the players. But they are not the players. Instead, all Christians are more like the players. As they receive the care, training, and equipping from the coaches, they are the ones on the field enjoying the challenges and rewards of the game. To maximize their joy and effectiveness, they are to regularly stay connected with the coaches and trainers. They give and receive input to the coaches. They communicate closely with them. Wounds are treated, successes celebrated, and mistakes nurtured. They may not know every coach or trainer, but they stay closely connected with at least one. That/those coach(es) then provide accountability, equipping, care, and a nurturing relationship for as long as the player is under their stewardship. God’s design for every Christian is more likened to players on a field than spectators in a grandstand.

To use another metaphor, sometimes we can approach church like a concert performance. I show up, observe the guys on stage, take it in, leave, and that is the end of the matter. Church leaders are viewed sort of like the guys on stage who we watch perform for us. I attend, hoping to enjoy what is happening. If I do not, well, it might not be the place for me.

But again, the Bible teaches that church is not like that. How do we know?

More: http://thecripplegate.com/every-christian-a-minister/

Parents: Are You More Concerned about Your Child’s Success than You Are about His or Her Godliness?

http://churchleaders.com/pastors/videos-for-pastors/303782-parents-concerned-childs-success-godliness.html

Five Reasons Church Members Attend Church Less Frequently

Run To Win! The Lifelong Pursuits of a Godly Man

Every four years another Olympics begins and the whole world becomes obsessed with activities they haven’t thought about since the last games. Suddenly we find ourselves waking up early and staying up late to watch athletes pole vault and throw javelins and dive into pools. We can’t help but cheer as we watch little-known sports like field hockey and handball and water polo. What is it that compels us to watch these strange events and to cheer for people we don’t even know?

We watch the Olympics because we want to see the best of the best. Athletes do not get to the Olympics on the basis of natural talent or wishing upon a star. They do not earn the opportunity to represent their countries through parental privilege or dumb luck. They get to the Olympics by hard work, by committing their whole lives to the pursuit of their sport. They have a body that is very much like ours—the same 650 muscles, the same 206 bones, the same two feet—yet they can do things with their bodies that we can only dream of. We may not know much about high jump, but we do know that we are watching something that required thousands of hours of training. We may not know a tuck from a handspring, but we do know that it took years of painful labor to perform such an acrobatic move. They have become the best in the world because of their total devotion to their sport, because of their grueling training, because of their rigid self-discipline.

The Race

Read more: https://www.challies.com/articles/run-to-win-the-lifelong-pursuits-of-a-godly-man

The Liberals’ Misguided Love Affair With Islam

These days, if you expose something murderous or hateful, you are guilty of a worse sin — the sin of judging.

iStockphoto

an Francisco, CA, USA – June 24, 2016: People at the Transmarch in San Francisco.

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Michael Brown

Why do so many liberals praise a religion that, at its root, is quite conservative, if not fundamentalist? Why do they defend a faith that would not defend them? Worse still, why do they defend a faith that, in some cases, would do violence to them?

Last week, Robert Spencer, Director of Jihad Watch and a New York Times bestselling author on radical Islam, was invited to speak at the University of Buffalo. But he was unable to say much because of the vocal opposition. He was shouted down and reviled, especially when attempting to read Islamic texts describing Islamic beliefs.

To paraphrase, “Not on our campus! We are progressive. We are liberal. We are enlightened. You will not bring your hate-filled bigotry here!”

In Spencer’s own words, “I spoke a few sentences and made a couple of points in between being screamed at by Leftist and Islamic supremacist fascists who think they’re opposing fascism.”

Did you catch that? Spencer was opposed by staunch liberals and staunch Muslims. What an odd couple they make, yet this has happened time and again in the recent past. Why?

Go to: https://stream.org/liberals-misguided-love-affair-islam/

Tami Breaks Free of Beth Moore: A Testimony

http://pulpitandpen.org/2017/05/22/tami-breaks-free-of-beth-moore-a-testimony/