Category: Culture

What is Discipleship?

What comes to mind when you think of Jesus Christ’s core ministry? Do you picture Him healing the sick and raising the dead? Do you imagine Him traveling form town to town preaching? Or standing on the Mount and proclaiming what would become the beatitudes?

The ministry of Jesus certainly included all of these things. However, I would argue that His core ministry–the example He left us with to follow–was something even more amazing. Sadly, it’s also something many of us simply disregard and fail to practice…

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Why I am Banning the Word "Mentor"

Christians are really good at creating and using language that is non-existent in the Bible.

We construct rules for ourselves, like “quiet time” and “devotionals.”  We use phrases that are out of touch and inexplicably alienate non-believers.

We are also really good at taking a concept in scripture and attaching so many restrictions, rules, and regulations to it that it becomes impossible to follow. Or we water it down so much that it no longer resembles the original design.

The term “mentor” is a perfect example, in my mind. I am not sure how this word has penetrated the Christian lexicon, especially since it has no Biblical basis.

But I have an even bigger problem with the word “mentor”… Continue reading Why I am Banning the Word "Mentor"

What's Age Got to Do with it?

I used to attend a church service catering to a younger crowd. It was energetic and always somewhat reminiscent of a college party. Everyone was cool, young, and hip. No one was over the age of 35, not even the pastor. Only a few people within the congregation were married and absolutely no one had children.

I enjoyed being there, yet I could never shake the feeling that church was not suppose to be comprised of only the young.

We had no one over the age of 35 attending service on purpose. We had no discipleship taking place. We had no one older and wiser to look to or lean on because, well, no one was older or wiser.

I eventually moved on, but the questions never left: Why have some churches begun catering to a younger generation? And more than that, should they? Continue reading What's Age Got to Do with it?

Top 10 Christian Phrases I Never Want to Hear Again

Some of you may remember the phrases I never want to hear again, like “git ‘er done” and “I’m just sayin’.” This time, I’m picking on Christians (since I am one and all).

I’m just gonna say it–Christians say some stupid things. We think we are being spiritual, Godly, helpful, wise, encouraging, but really we are sticking our big stinky feet in our big open mouth.

There are quite a few phrases within the Church that irk me. I’m guessing you feel the same. Here are the Top 10 Christians phrases I never want to hear again…starting with… Continue reading Top 10 Christian Phrases I Never Want to Hear Again

A Dream for the Church

I read this quote from Frank Viola, an author, speaker and church planter, and was left feeling inspired to do the same. Here is his dream for the church, followed by my own:

“I have a dream that Jesus Christ will one day be head of His Church again, not in pious rhetoric, but in reality.

I have a dream that one day the Church of Jesus Christ will rise up to her God-given calling and live out the true meaning of her identity–which is, the very heartthrob of God Almighty–the fiance of the King of all Kings.

I have a dream that groups of Christians everywhere will begin to flesh out the New Testament reality that the Church is a living organism and not an institutional organization.”

—Frank Viola

Here are my dreams for the church…then please share yours…

Continue reading A Dream for the Church

The Single Christian Woman: Blessed or Doomed?

I did not grow up in the Church. I mean, I went to church occasionally, but I was not surrounded by a community of believers. I was, therefore, not exposed to the Christian phenomena of the “Proverbs 31 woman” until much later.

It seems that, for many young Christian women, the ideal placed before them is a woman who looks like this: She is Godly, yes, but perhaps more importantly she is married, with 3.4 children, stays home to tend to the needs of her family, and bakes loaves of bread and apple pies for kicks.

This is a nice picture–a lovely one, in fact–but is this God’s only picture of a Jesus-loving woman? Can a Christian woman be seen as Godly without having children or without <gasp!> being married? Is the single Christian woman blessed or doomed? Continue reading The Single Christian Woman: Blessed or Doomed?

What Do Men Want?

Happy He Said/She Said day. What do men want? I know what you might be thinking. I certainly would have said the same thing only a few short years ago.

We all know the quips about what men want. They only want one thing, we hear: sex. Television, the movies, and popular culture seem to consistently and and carelessly confirm this theory.

We are told sex is the driving force behind men. The reason they chase women and the reason they want women. I agree, men like sex. They even need sex, but is sex alone what men want?

While I believe men are simple, that does not mean they are ignoramus, ape-like, sex-crazed beasts. So, if they don’t just want (or only want) sex, what do men really want? Continue reading What Do Men Want?

The Worst Kinds of Parents

Some of you may have heard about the recent buzz surrounding a new book titled Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother by Amy Chua, wherein she offers an unnerving and controversial account of raising her children as a Chinese mother.

Regardless of your personal thoughts or knowledge of the book, it certainly has done one thing: start conversations.

The term “tiger mom” is now being used to describe overly-protective, hyper-involved, strict mothers. I have to say that I don’t see too many of these moms on the playground, but I do see a whole slew of other unhealthy types of parents.

It seems that more and more parents these days just don’t know how to parent and, instead, resort to unhealthy and even irresponsible types of parenting. There are 8 patterns of problem parents. Are you one or do you know one? Continue reading The Worst Kinds of Parents

5 Reasons Why Women Cheat

Last Wednesday on He Said/She Said, I asked, why do men cheat? I then gave 5 reasons why I think men are tempted to fall into adultery.

Today, we are shifting over to the ladies. Adultery among women is up significantly from years ago. More and more women today are cheating. Some believe this is true because of more lax adultery laws against women and the topic of adultery being more openly discussed in general.

Perhaps this is true, but I suspect  that  some of the very same reasons men cheat, compel women to cheat, as well. There are also more complex reasons as to why more and more women are seeking adulterous relationships. The reasons may surprise you… Continue reading 5 Reasons Why Women Cheat

What Makes You an Adult?

I am still not used to the word “adult.” I’ll occasionally hear people refer to me as an adult and I’ll think, “Huh? Who are they talking about?”

I guess for some people, it is normal to still think of yourself as a kid. I look over the last 5-10 years of my life, however, and realize that in terms of “growing up,” I’ve done a lot.

But does doing grown up stuff really make you an adult? In today’s culture where children grow up all too fast and take on the pressures of adult life too soon, and “maturity” is a dying word, what actually makes someone an adult?

Continue reading What Makes You an Adult?