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Tag Archives: spiritual disciplines
The Good and Bad of Spiritual Formation, Part 2
I’m going to try to wrap this up by answering some questions. Aren’t you aware of the long tradition in Christianity of spiritual disciplines designed to bring our hearts into closer alignment with God’s will? How can you discount so … Continue reading
Posted in Spiritual Formation, Uncategorized
Tagged All, Dallas Willard, discipleship, Renovare, RIchard J. Foster, spiritual disciplines, spiritual formation
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The Good and Bad of Spiritual Formation (Being Formed within God’s Mission)
As I read the material quoted in the last post, I have two reactions. First, it’s indisputably true that in many churches a portion of the membership is not particularly Christ-like. There are often very few differences between the lost … Continue reading
Posted in Spiritual Formation, Uncategorized
Tagged All, Dallas Willard, discipleship, Renovare, RIchard J. Foster, spiritual disciplines, spiritual formation
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The Good and Bad of Spiritual Formation (Introduction)
I’ve been thinking about spiritual formation for quite a while. It’s all the rage in evangelical circles. Many churches have hired ministers of spiritual formation. We did for a while. Type “spiritual formation” into Google, and you get lots articles … Continue reading
Posted in Spiritual Formation, Uncategorized
Tagged All, Dallas Willard, disciples, In Celebration of Discipline, RIchard J. Foster, spiritual disciplines, spiritual formation
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What’s Wrong With How We Do Church?: And So, In Conclusion …
After 9 posts on the same topic, it’s time to draw some conclusions. But this will all have to be taken as very preliminary. After all, Willow Creek hasn’t finished their study of 500 additional churches. Nonetheless, while I wouldn’t … Continue reading
Posted in Uncategorized, What's Wrong with How We Do Church
Tagged adult education, All, Bill Hybels, church of irresistible influence, Greg Hawkins, little rock bible fellowship church, Missional Christianity, Reveal, robert lewis, spiritual disciplines, spiritual formation, Willow Creek Community Church
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What’s Wrong With How We Do Church?: Escaping Our Denial
Let’s start with what the Bible says about what the church is all about. I’ve already quoted Jesus’ words in Matthew 25 saying we’ll be judged by how we treat the poor and needy. The lesson is found in lots … Continue reading
Posted in Uncategorized, What's Wrong with How We Do Church
Tagged adult education, All, Bill Hybels, church of irresistible influence, Greg Hawkins, little rock bible fellowship church, Missional Christianity, Reveal, robert lewis, spiritual disciplines, spiritual formation, Willow Creek Community Church
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What’s Wrong With How We Do Church?: The Church of Irresistible Influence
As I’ve been pondering the problem the Willow Creek Community Church is struggling with, as described in their Reveal study, I’ve begun reading Robert Lewis’s The Church of Irresistible Influence. I happened across this quote in this 2001 book– We … Continue reading
Posted in Uncategorized, What's Wrong with How We Do Church
Tagged adult education, All, Bill Hybels, church of irresistible influence, Greg Hawkins, little rock bible fellowship church, Missional Christianity, Reveal, robert lewis, spiritual disciplines, spiritual formation, Willow Creek Community Church
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What’s Wrong With How We Do Church?: On Being a Benevolence Program
There are doubtlessly hundreds of ways for a church to care for the poor. This is just one of many ways to go about it. My congregation has just these last few months tried this, and the early results are … Continue reading
Posted in Uncategorized, What's Wrong with How We Do Church
Tagged adult education, All, Bill Hybels, Greg Hawkins, Missional Christianity, Reveal, spiritual disciplines, spiritual formation, Willow Creek Community Church
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What’s Wrong With How We Do Church?: The Jesus Piece
This is not the complete answer to the problems identified by Willow Creek’s REVEAL study. But, I’m persuaded, it’s a big piece of the puzzle. We’re not going to find the answer in our culture (American or church)–which pretty much … Continue reading
Posted in Uncategorized, What's Wrong with How We Do Church
Tagged adult education, All, Bill Hybels, Greg Hawkins, Missional Christianity, Reveal, social gospel, spiritual disciplines, spiritual formation, Willow Creek Community Church
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What Wrong With How We Do Church?: Problems with Authority
I found this on-line book by Andrew Strom helpful. Strom has spoken with many who’ve left the institutional church and quotes countless emails giving a sense of their discontent. Ultimately, however, Strom finds many who’ve left are so anti-authoritarian that … Continue reading
Posted in Organizing Your Church, Uncategorized, What's Wrong with How We Do Church
Tagged adult education, All, Andrew Strom, Bill Hybels, Greg Hawkins, Out of Church Christians, Reveal, spiritual disciplines, spiritual formation, Willow Creek Community Church
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What’s Wrong With How We Do Church?: A Churchless Faith
Willow Creek is hardly the first to notice the large number of mature Christians leaving the institutional church. A Churchless Faith by Alan Jamieson (2000) is a study of this phenomenon. It’s out of print, but summarized here.The following are … Continue reading
Posted in Uncategorized, What's Wrong with How We Do Church
Tagged adult education, Alan Jamieson, All, Bill Hybels, Churchless faith, Greg Hawkins, Reveal, spiritual disciplines, spiritual formation, Willow Creek Community Church
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