church decline

Developing a Church Culture that Affirms the Holy Spirit

The Holy Spirit not only dwells in the bodies of individual believers but the corporate body of believers as well. Is the Holy Spirit leading your church?

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NAME, SHARE, SEEK MORE: Encourage Others by Sharing Your Experiences of the Holy Spirit

A proper understanding of the Holy Spirit is needed in order to understand His role in our lives. How can we make room for manifestations of the Holy Spirit in our own lives and our churches?

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Getting the Theology of the Holy Spirit Right

A proper understanding of the Holy Spirit is needed in order to understand His role in our lives. How can we make room for manifestations of the Holy Spirit in our own lives and our churches?

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Whispers From The Holy Spirit

How do we discern a whisper or nudge from the Holy Spirit? Is it the Holy Spirit? Could it be the Enemy? We need to be sure that this is the Spirit at work and not just some crazy idea we want to chase.

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Understand the Power of Trigger Events

When I was leading a group on a tour of Israel, we went out on the Sea of Galilee in a tourist boat. We could see many of the special places where Jesus taught and ministered. The operator then played a recording of “How Great Thou Art” at high volume. We sang all three verses—with […]

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The Importance of Naming the Spirit Working in Our Lives

We are being transformed by the renewing of our minds (Romans 12:2). The Spirit does this with individuals. But he also can do so with congregations.

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Name the Spirit at Work in Our Lives

We are being transformed by the renewing of our minds (Romans 12:2). The Spirit does this with individuals. But he also can do so with congregations.

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Fresh Behavioral Perspectives on Ministry

Consider fresh perspectives on the challenge of re-tooling our inherited ministries. And the emphasis is indeed on ministries, not just academic theology alone. Theologians like to make distinctions, but if a distinction doesn’t make a difference in ministry, why pursue it?

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Dry Bones, Hear The Word of the Lord

The prophet Ezekiel gave us the image of the Word of the Lord breathing new life into old, dry bones. He assured, “I will put my Spirit in you and you will live” (Ezekiel 37). Traditional churches are in danger of seeing their bones go dry in our times. We need the Spirit to refresh us. The way he […]

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Re-Discovering the Holy Spirit

Every congregation has some. Mature Christians well along in their journey to becoming more like Christ. When asked, others can usually point them out by name. What they convey is fruit the Holy Spirit has produced in them. The Apostle Paul lists some, like love, joy, peace, and patience. Under the influence of the Spirit, these inner qualities often […]

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The Head Rules the Belly Through the Chest

I am intrigued by an insight from C.S. Lewis. Jeff Dryden highlights Lewis’ metaphor that “the head rules the belly through the chest.” The chest is the heart seen as the seat of emotions. The belly is irrational passions. The chest has to be trained to love what the head recognizes as good, otherwise it will not have the […]