are you in business for the money?
I have heard it time and time again. “Well, one goes into business to make money” or “People got laid off because, well, the business is there to make money.” The business is there to make money. Well, I don’t know if I agree anymore. At least in principle. I think we need to change [...]
how to make a local difference
Last week, the Barna Group released a new report revealing that 75% of adults believe that churches have a positive effect on their local communities. This sounds like good news, right? So why is it that church membership is dwindling? It seems that people would want to take part in this positive influence of the [...]
church projects: workday with @habitatsrq
We just asked. A quick email to the local Habitat for Humanity office helped us to discover how we can help on a local project. When we asked about who this home was for… The homeowner Lisa is a life-long resident of the Newtown area and has been a school bus driver for 12 years. [...]
who’s coming to dinner?
As a follow up to my last post (who attends your church?) we should also ask, ”Who is coming to dinner?” This question was asked to me. Why do we talk only about the church service and the attendance of people with “alternate” lifestyles? The church is made of people, not buildings and such, so as Christians [...]
what does community interpretation look like?
In my last two columns we discussed misunderstandings of Bible interpretation and the foundation for interpreting the Bible in community. So in this final installment of the three part series on Bible interpretation we will explore what interpreting the Bible as a community might look like. Interpreting the Bible in community means that we interpret [...]
paper or plastic? [the grocery store ministry]
![paper or plastic? [the grocery store ministry]](http://bibledude.net/wp-content/uploads/grocery-store-100x100.jpg)
My husband Rich and I exchanged apprehensive glances as we stood in line at the grocery store checkstand. Behind us, a man flung his order onto the conveyer belt: two rotisserie chickens, a basket of strawberries, a loaf of French bread, a large bottle of cheap wine. His brows met in a deep furrow above [...]
interpreting the bible in community
Last week I shared 3 misunderstandings concerning Bible interpretation and suggested that the Bible should be interpreted in community. Allow me to give some precedent on interpreting the Bible in community. First, the birth of the church is perhaps the most significant precedent for community interpretation of the Bible. Obviously, the early church did not [...]
3 misunderstandings concerning bible interpretation
Here are three misunderstandings about the interpretation of the Bible. First, the Bible has a plain meaning that everyone can understand. The Bible might have a plain meaning, but it is difficult to access this plain meaning from a plain reading of scripture. The plain meaning is steeped in a culture foreign to us and [...]
small group resource review: the gospel in life
The Gospel in Life: Grace Changes Everything, a DVD series by Timothy Keller is a must for some groups of individuals, but I would suggest passing over on it for other individuals. The content is great. I am not sure anyone in today’s churches are more qualified and able to do such a series. I [...]
on living transparently
or because of these surpassingly great revelations. Therefore, in order to keep me from becoming conceited, I was given a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me. Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, [...]
what makes good online community?
When I want to get to know someone, or just hang out with them, in my ‘offline’ life I always think about going to some cool hangout place like Starbucks and chatting over a cup of my favorite hot drink (venti non-fat no-water chai). In fact, as I write this my wife is out with [...]
#goodwork tour with @thehighcalling
It was the first time that most of us had ever seen each other in all three dimensions! It was a virtual team coming together in real-life. And Marcus had something pretty cool planned for us that was right up our alley! We hit the streets of downtown San Antonio in a game designed to [...]
[highcallingblogs.com] how to engage community on facebook
![[highcallingblogs.com] how to engage community on facebook](http://bibledude.net/wp-content/uploads/DSC09444-300x201-100x100.jpg)
Note: This is an excerpt of a featured Community post (written by yours truly!) at HighCallingBlogs.com. Facebook is a game-changer. Say what you want about sites like MySpace, Twitter, or a number of others, but Facebook is the killer app that brought social networking into the mainstream. Social networking is ultimately about community, and not just surfing [...]
celebrating [12 days of awesomeness]
![celebrating [12 days of awesomeness]](http://bibledude.net/wp-content/uploads/christmas-tree-with-gifts-150x150.jpg)
In case you haven’t noticed, there is a lot of amazing stuff happening in blogging these days! Every time I turn around, I am seeing people stand up and raise their voice for what they believe in. The cool part of this is that people are listening. But the really cool part is that more and more [...]
[highcallingblogs.com] the secret ingredient
![[highcallingblogs.com] the secret ingredient](http://bibledude.net/wp-content/uploads/hcb-thumb.png)
I was on a community prayer walk recently, and I noticed something funny. Not “ha ha” funny, but the kind of funny that really makes you think. What I noticed was a bunch of individuals walking down the street. Even though there were lots of people walking around, there were very few people who acknowledged [...]
live online q+a: fighting poverty in africa
Lately I’ve really been trying to step up my game with using new tools to develop the community here. I’ve created the BibleDude.net group on Facebook, which is now over 720 members strong. I’ve also recently started using Twitter to connect with people, and have discovered many new frieds there as well. But now I plan [...]
books, community, and social justice: [february 2011 top content]
I love looking at my analytics and learning more about what people are picking up and reading around here. I always learn a lot about what’s resonating with people, and sometimes renew a passion for certain topics that I may not have thought about in a while. This month, I definitely see some trends in [...]
Mar 07, 2011 | Categories: connect, engaged in culture, reviews, the latest | Tags: #icorphan, africa, analytics, bible commentary, books, community, justice, lists, malaria, mark, marriage | 2 Comments »