by Robby McAlpine | Jul 2, 2019 | Cultural Engagement, Messy Church, Missional, Practical Theology, Prayer, Revival
A crackling fire provided the perfect soundtrack to their annual get-together. The evening air was cathedral-quiet, reverential. A log shifted, and a swirl of sparks gusted heavenward. A choir of crickets serenaded the shoreline, augmented by the occasional blip of...
by Robby McAlpine | Apr 30, 2018 | Messy Church, Practical Theology, Revival, The Vineyard Movement
“The crucible for silver and the furnace for gold, but the Lord tests the heart.” (Proverbs 17:3) Purify my heart, let me be as gold and precious silver Refiner’s fire; my heart’s one desire is to be holy Set apart for You, Lord (Refiner’s Fire ~ Brian Doerksen) The...
by Robby McAlpine | Dec 31, 2016 | Church Life, Conflict Resolution, Cultural Engagement, Disciple Making, Discipleship, Ethics, Leadership, Missional, Practical Theology, Revival, Small Groups
“I’ve decided to stay out of those discussions, until I’m sure we can have a non-hysterical conversation.” A non-hysterical conversation … When a friend casually uttered that phrase, I was immediately struck by its simple and profound wisdom. It’s increasingly...
by Robby McAlpine | Dec 22, 2016 | Discipleship, Evangelism, Practical Theology, Preaching, Revival, Social Justice
But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord…” Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with...
by Robby McAlpine | Nov 24, 2016 | Conflict Resolution, Cultural Engagement, Discipleship, Evangelicalism, Leadership, Practical Theology, Revival
If it hasn’t been obvious before, it’s obvious now — as in: ‘how could you possibly miss it?’ — that evangelicals need to do some serious soul-searching, humble themselves, and REPENT. And no, actually, this isn’t just a cheap...
by Luke Geraty | Nov 2, 2016 | Practical Theology, Revival
What is revival? How do you define this religious experience? The esteemed J. I. Packer suggested that revival is “God’s quickening visitation of his people, touching their hearts and deepening his work of grace in their lives.” Robert Baird...
by Robby McAlpine | May 2, 2016 | Practical Theology, Revival, The Vineyard Movement
“Revival.” Now, there’s a word that comes pre-loaded with all manner of mental images, assumptions, and expectations. To be “revived”, if we are going to be carefully specific, means that what was once alive, and then died, has been...
by Robby McAlpine | Apr 16, 2016 | Ethics, Leadership, Practical Theology, Preaching, Revival
I’ll freely admit, right up front: this is a tough topic. Whenever I see leaders/preachers resort to manipulation, it really steams my shorts. I’ll try my best to be civil. To that end, I’ll focus on the slippery techniques they employ to manipulate their listeners’...
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 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 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 Robby McAlpine | Jun 23, 2015 | Evangelicalism, Leadership, Practical Theology, Revival, The Vineyard Movement, Theological Training
“What can you tell me about your involvement with the Vineyard?” The question hung in the air, the chasm between us suddenly gaping like a bottomless pit. Ah, and there it is, I thought to myself. The “Vineyard” question. I was enrolled in seminary, upgrading my...
by Brad Blocksom | Mar 3, 2015 | Discipleship, Evangelicalism, Practical Theology, Revival, The Vineyard Movement
I actually came across this in a review of the book Spiritual Formation as if the Church Mattered in JETS (the Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society). I haven’t actually read the book, but the review by Abraham Kuruvilla of Dallas Theological Seminary...
by Brad Blocksom | Jan 6, 2015 | Disciple Making, Discipleship, Evangelicalism, Evangelism, Missional, Practical Theology, Preaching, Revival, World Misions
That’s right! I’m calling for an end to Fire Insurance theology as the central thesis of Evangelicalism! Or at least the out-of-balance, singular emphasis on “soul-winning” – especially at the expense of discipleship. Another way to talk...
by Luke Geraty | Aug 24, 2014 | Church Life, Evangelicalism, Practical Theology, Prayer, Revival
After what felt like a ton of reading for a class I took on the history of both the Evangelical and Pentecostal movements, I walked away with a deeper understanding of and appreciation for both of these traditions. I think Bebbington’s quadrilateral is still a...
by Luke Geraty | Jul 20, 2013 | Messy Church, Old Testament, Revival
As I’ve been preparing for tomorrow’s sermon at Trinity Christian Fellowship, I’ve been struck by the cyclical patterns that are found throughout the Old Testament, but specifically throughout Judges. Time and time again, you find the following...
by Luke Geraty | May 6, 2013 | Messy Church, Pneumatology, Revival
Jonathan Edwards isn’t always known for being one of the most available theologians to read. People often find his writing style beyond the scope of “easy reading.” Yet there are numerous reasons why he’s still a huge benefit for the church....
by Luke Geraty | Sep 30, 2011 | Revival
Been thinking about revival lately. I’m slowly reading through A God-Sized Vision: Revival Stories That Stretch and Stir by Collin Hansen and John Woodbridge and I sense a stirring. I’m not exactly sure what is stirring up, but I’m pretty sure...
by Luke Geraty | Aug 3, 2011 | Hermeneutics, Revival
“There he is at five in the morning . . . . on his knees with his English Bible, his Greek New Testament and Henry’s Commentary spread out before him. He reads a portion in the English, gains a fuller insight into it as he studies words and tenses in the Greek and...
by Luke Geraty | Jun 11, 2011 | Charismatic Theology, Church History, Revival
Often, before God sovereignly chooses to pour out His Spirit upon His people, they must become broken and in such despair that their only hope is for God’s presence to come. Nothing else matters. But that desperation rarely is the default position of humanity....
