Posted on 03/14/2005 6:18:27 PM PST by Dubya
The purpose-driven approach is not a "bill of goods" and certainly does not require that you establish a carbon copy of Saddleback or Willow Creek or Chuck Swindoll's Stonebriar Community or any other church. It is a way of examining and clarifying the core values and key practices of a church, which will be different for different locales and congregations.
Perhaps, but you should also consider that the book has grown more churches than it has --- in your own words --- "caused a mess in some churches.
If you're only focusing on how the book has screwed up the music in some church services, you're focusing on the wrong thing.
The point of Christianity is to save as many people through spreading the Gospel, which The Purpose Driven Life does quite well. Christianity is not about the music that a church plays during its services.
Wasn't it amazing? Just the same love and hope Jesus gives us every single day.
That's the spirit!
Burn them books!
(/sarcasm)
What exactly would you be willing to sacrifice?
I believe this book has probably helped the vast majority of people who have read it. I know I learned alot from it and plan to keep that book the rest of my life. It truly is a "how to" book regarding how to live your life and helping to understand God's Word. I am puzzled as to why you think it has "caused a mess in some churches".
Any book that tries to clarify or expand a point or principle in Scripture is fine, as long as it doesn't contradict inspired Scripture in the process!
She was paraphrasing Scripture, yet she spoke truth: God does have a purpose for our lives in Christ.
After further reading I see that lots of people are against this book. I am amazed. The church I belong to is a very biblically grounded church with many elderly members as well as members of all ages. Last year we did the 40 Days of Purpose series at our church and I never heard a single word of complaint. We are about as far from a "new age" "tickle the ears" church as any church could be; yet our members felt blessed by The 40 Days of Purpose.
Your church sounds like ours. A Bible Teaching , fundamental church with grounded senior adults as well as younger families.
Not true. I attended Saddleback for several years and that is simply not the case.
There are few churches that would drive out the 50+ crowd; at least those who are enthusuastic Christians. They are the ones who volunteer the most, have the most life experiences; and the money.
Hey Sandy. I figured I'd find you here.
I see the Warren-is-the-AntiChrist crowd never misses one of these threads.
BTW did you find a Church in Seattle?
Your porpoise is a a killer whale.
Our church is starting this program next month. What do you mean by "mess"?
If you compare the crimes of Saul with the crimes of Brian Nichols, well, Saul's record exceeds that of Nichols by leagues.
It is easy for me to believe that God chose both of these people to glorify His name. After all, with all of the bloodshed of the weekend, what today are we talking about but the power of God?
I read the first 2 chapters on the author's website, very profound stuff. I plan on buying the book as well.
Luckily I have all three. After my grandfather died, my grandmother kept his KJV Bible in her bedside table drawer. I told my grandmother that I was interested in obtaining a Bible for myself, and she gave me my grandfather's Bible as a way of remembering both of them.
No one is forcing you to read the Bible, but it is suggested reading.
I look at it this way. The Lord God is speaking to all, and those who walk around with dark minds, hearts, and souls, won't see His light or hear His message. In order for the Lord to get Brian's attention, He worked through Ashley.
"...he covered her face with a towel out of weird modesty and respect when she was in the bathroom with him. Weird."
To your point and also to the point about the teacher who said the hostage "saw something good in him," I was in the Baltimore area when he was a fugitive, and one of his childhood friends was interviewed on television news. He said Nichols was raised in a church-going, respectable family; the friend was dumbfounded at what Nichols had become.
Yes, he did evil things; but the entire point of Christianity is redemption. Even Hitler could have gone to heaven if he repented to God. Sincere repentence is not a get-out-of-jail-or-other-consequences card; if you do the crime, you still have to do the time on this earth. But repentance is part of recognizing the inevitability of sin in the human condition, especially in oneself, and God's gift of His Son to redeem sinners.
What we should be looking at in this story is the perversity of the media who hear of a profound Christian witness and go running immediately a school of a different faith for a comment.
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