by Michael Sterns | Sep 5, 2016 | Bonhoeffer, Discipleship, Practical Theology
“Let [the one] who cannot be alone beware of community… Let [the one] who is not in community beware of being alone… Each by itself has profound perils and pitfalls. One who wants fellowship without solitude plunges into the void of words and...
by Michael Sterns | Jul 9, 2016 | Discipleship, Practical Theology
“There is not a square inch in the whole domain of our human existence over which Christ, who is Sovereign over all, does not cry, Mine!” ― Abraham Kuyper God is sovereign. That’s something we’re all taught in Sunday School. Or maybe we’ve heard it...
by Brad Blocksom | May 23, 2016 | Devotionals, Discipleship, Healing, Leadership, Messy Church, Practical Theology
Hebrews 5:2 He can deal gently with the ignorant and wayward, since he himself is beset with weakness. (ESV) As humans we are filled with weakness, tempted, sinful. Jesus experienced this same weakness and temptation – “yet without sin” (4:15). By...
by Brad Blocksom | Feb 9, 2016 | Cross-Cultural Ministry, Disciple Making, Discipleship, Evangelicalism, Evangelism, Leadership, Missional, Practical Theology
So you may recall that I have written in the past here on the Missional Model vs. the Attractional model for Church. I’ve also written here that the commonly used metrics of Butts in Seats & “Decisions” for Christ are poor measures of an...
by Robby McAlpine | Jan 19, 2016 | Cultural Engagement, Discipleship, Ethics, Evangelism, Messy Church, Practical Theology
There was this guy in the Old Testament who gets a lot of bad press. And when you read his story, you gotta admit: he deserves it. If anything, he serves mainly as an example of how not to do life. His name was Lot. He was Abraham’s opportunistic nephew, who has...
by Brad Blocksom | Jan 13, 2016 | Devotionals, Discipleship, Ethics, Evangelicalism, Evangelism, Leadership, Messy Church, Practical Theology, Preaching
2 Cor. 4:2 But we have renounced disgraceful and underhanded ways. We refuse to practice cunning or to tamper with God’s word, but by the open statement of the truth we would commend ourselves to everyone’s conscience in the sight of God. (ESV) Wow, this...
by Able Baker | Jan 4, 2016 | Discipleship
I remember growing up listening to sermons on Revelation 3:15-16: “I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! So because you are lukewarm – neither hot nor cold – I am about to spit you out of my mouth.” The preacher...
by Brad Blocksom | Sep 15, 2015 | Church Life, Church Planting, Devotionals, Disciple Making, Discipleship, Leadership, Messy Church, Missional, Practical Theology, Prayer, Small Groups, World Misions
Acts 20:11 And when Paul had gone up and had broken bread and eaten, he conversed with them a long while, until daybreak, and so departed. (ESV) It was Sunday. Paul had already preached past midnight. They continued to talk and share a meal together (perhaps two...
by Brad Blocksom | Aug 20, 2015 | Church Life, Disciple Making, Discipleship, Evangelicalism, Missional, Practical Theology
I probably shouldn’t write this blog post… woops, my finger slipped and I just clicked “send.” Seriously though, I’d like to start off this post with a quote from my good friend Kenny Burchard: “If we’re talking about how to “do”...
![Institutional Church [a word to the ‘dones’] (Girard 6)](https://thinktheology.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/girard_chur6.jpg)
by Robby McAlpine | Aug 17, 2015 | Church Life, Discipleship, Leadership, Missional, Practical Theology
Re-reading a classic like Brethren, Hang Loose has been much more than a trip down memory lane. Revisiting your roots is always a good habit. You never know what the Spirit might impress upon you, all over again. To be honest, I sympathize greatly with those who...
by Robby McAlpine | Aug 14, 2015 | Church Life, Church Planting, Disciple Making, Discipleship, Leadership, Missional, Practical Theology, Small Groups
No look back at Bob Girard’s Brethren, Hang Loose would be complete without revisiting the topic of house groups. “The ‘great revivals’ of American history were nearly always preceded and followed by small groups meeting for prayer and...
by Robby McAlpine | Aug 10, 2015 | Church Life, Discipleship, Leadership, Missional, Practical Theology
Bob Girard’s Brethren, Hang Loose is almost a half century old. Not exactly what you’d call a current title in the whole missional community emphasis of today. And yet Girard speaks into our present day, almost prophetically, calling us to think deeply...
by Robby McAlpine | Aug 8, 2015 | Church Life, Church Planting, Discipleship, Leadership, Practical Theology, Revival, Small Groups
There really is nothing new under the sun, as these quotes from Brethren, Hang Loose ably demonstrate: “Every ministerial convention is more of the same. The pastors of the big, successful churches are there to tell you how it’s done, how to organize,...
by Robby McAlpine | Aug 7, 2015 | Church Life, Church Planting, Disciple Making, Discipleship, Leadership, Missional, Practical Theology, Small Groups
(Image source: Parable of the Hidden Treasure, Wikicommons) As I continue to re-read Bob Girard’s Brethren, Hang Loose, I find gems chock full o’ wisdom like this one: “The spiritual ministry of each individual member must be a spiritual ministry...
by Robby McAlpine | Aug 5, 2015 | Church Life, Disciple Making, Discipleship, Leadership, Practical Theology, Revival, Small Groups
Re-visiting your roots from time to time is a healthy practice, I’ve found. And as a typical book-learnin’ nerd, there have been some significant authors whose influence in my life came through their writings. (I blogged my way through one of them,...
by Robby McAlpine | Jul 28, 2015 | Church Life, Discipleship, Practical Theology
The Younger quickly sketched the image on a napkin with bold, confident strokes, eagerly outlining the thought he had just blurted out to the Elder. The Elder watched him over the rims of his reading glasses, a steaming cup of coffee — “black, the way God...
by Robby McAlpine | Jul 12, 2015 | Church Life, Discipleship, Leadership, Practical Theology, Revival, Small Groups
“Your first song is always a throw-away.” Those words have always bugged me, even though I’ve often seen it to be true. If you know any worship leaders, ask them, sometime, about their struggle to bring people together to worship. I’m currently...
by Brad Blocksom | Jun 17, 2015 | Devotionals, Discipleship, Messy Church, Money, Practical Theology, Sex, The Vineyard Movement
Luke 18:22b Sell all that you have and distribute to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven: and come follow me.” (ESV) The story of Jesus’ encounter with the rich ruler is abundantly clear! Cast off any and all things that hinder you from fully...
by Brad Blocksom | Jun 3, 2015 | Devotionals, Discipleship, Forgiveness, Practical Theology, The Vineyard Movement
Luke 16:9 And I tell you, make friends for yourselves by means of unrighteous wealth, so that when it fails they may receive you into eternal dwellings. (ESV) The parable of the Unjust Manager has always been one of the most disturbing and difficult to understand...
by Brad Blocksom | May 16, 2015 | Church Life, Church Planting, Discipleship, Evangelicalism, Evangelism, Missional, Practical Theology, Prayer
There are, of course, two extremes on this issue. On the one hand we have the Fundamentalist approach: Circle the wagons! Its us against the world. Keep those sinners out of the church. They might have a bad influence on my children, and they might infect us lest sin...
