Attending church was never a thrilling concept for me. I didn't feel much personal compulsion to go. These feelings really hit home when I worked as a nanny. The boy I was watching said his teacher (he attended a Christian school) told him heaven would be like church, only you never leave. He was pretty [...]
Alonso lost his wife to cancer a few months ago. It was a devastating experience - one that led him to the bottle, a lost career, and a stint in the Veterans Hospital. I met him just before Christmas when he showed up for a discipleship study at the Greenhouse. Alonso was derailed but not [...]
Consider: None of Jesus' influence matters if I am not radically changed, if a spiritual revolution does not explode in my own heart, if my ego is not overthrown. First, Jesus became my Savior. Then he became my Lord. Because I am saved, I serve. He makes a radical difference in who/what controls me (other [...]
The label “radical” is usually pinned on those who are counter-cultural. They may be radical in dress and/or hair styles. These are superficial counter-cultural behaviors, innovative and perhaps shocking but innocuous. Communism and materialism are examples of more profound radicalism - philosophical outlooks that shape the worldview of the masses. Similarly, “revolutionary” is the label [...]
My friend, Mark Elliott, preaches convicting sermons about the disciple's position in Christ. He uses the term "exchanged living" or "the exchanged life." I love that picture. It's a biblical truth. Paul wrote, "I've been crucified with Christ. I don't live any more. By faith, Jesus lives in me!" Gal. 2:20 Now that's a real [...]
ACU professor Richard Beck blogs that contemporary Christianity "has essentially become a mechanism for allowing millions of people to replace being a decent human being with some endorsed 'spiritual substitute.'" Activities like going to church, worship, praying, fasting, Bible study, etc. can fill our lives while never changing who we are, he says. Beck calls [...]
It's been cold in Middle Tennessee. Morning temperatures in the single digits. Snow. Icy roads. Even so, I'm blessed to sit in a warm office this morning with a hot cup of coffee and a little time for reflecting. This is our year-end newsletter. We want to thank you for supporting Timothy Network through another [...]
How is it possible to make sense of the way Americans view and practice religious faith in the 21st century? The "church landscape," faith, and belief systems are all undergoing drastic change and flux in America. How do authentic disciples of Jesus Christ make sense of and properly address it? Opportunities for reaching people seem boundless, but we'd better [...]
Transformation is a concept that gets a lot of attention within the Timothy Network. It's a core objective of the ministry to see lives transformed by the gospel of Jesus Christ. (Romans 12:2) It's one thing to talk and write about transformation. Living a transformed lifestyle is another matter all together. It requires focused intentionality. [...]