Could you preach someone else’s sermon?

[Christian Post]

More than 1,500 pastors across the country and around the globe have pledged not to short circuit their sermons with someone else’s. In a new campaign aimed at putting the centrality of the Bible back into a preacher’s message, “The Preacher’s Pledge,” introduced by SermonCentral.com, has been signed by pastors from over 50 nations so far.

“We introduced The Pledge because we think preachers must engage the Bible in their sermon preparation and not simply short circuit the process with someone else’s study,” says Ron Forseth, general editor for SermonCentral.com. “Our site is a valuable supplement but not the primary source for a sermon. God’s Word is.”

Read about it here.

Take the pledge here.

[From me]

I could never preach someone else’s sermon! Period! I’ve had some false accusations to the contrary but never, never, never have I downloaded and preached someone else’s study. To me that is lazy and robs the person delivering the message an opportunity to grow through their study. God teaches me new insights every time I study. I have taught the same passages before but somehow God teaches me something new. Other great speakers give challenges to me and I gain wonderful ideas. But my personality and style is different than other speakers. I don’t get this.

Could you preach or teach some else’s work?

What do you think?

Americans Familiar with Big Mac Ingredients than 10 Commandments

[Christian Post]

Despite living in a country with a rich and still prevalent Christian heritage – as evident from the Pledge of Allegiance to the nation’s motto, “In God We Trust” – Americans were found to be more familiar with the ingredients of the McDonald’s Big Mac hamburger than some of the Ten Commandments.

In a new study conducted by Kelton research in conjunction with the upcoming release of the animated feature film, The Ten Commandments, 80 percent of respondents knew “two all beef patties” were among the ingredients of the Big Mac but only six out of ten could identify “Thou shalt not kill” as one of the Ten Commandments. Also, while 43 percent of respondents – including those who regularly attend worship – could recall Bobby and Peter, two of the least-recalled names from the Brady Bunch, they were less familiar with two of the least recalled commandments – “Remember the Sabbath” (34 percent) and “Do not make any false idols” (29 percent).

Read about it here.

[From me]

This doesn’t really surprise me.  I would imagine that a large number of church people don’t know them.  How would I know that?  Because I see how many Bibles are left in the lost and found at every church I’ve served.  Last week I read that over 60% of Evangelicals don’t read their Bible.

How can you ever know someone if you don’t spend time with them?  The way people get to know God is reading the Bible and through prayer.  I don’t spend as much time as I should but I do spend everyday praying and studying God’s Word.

What do you think?

I wonder what this means for the church?

[Boston.com]

There is a new generation coming up– the so-called Entitlement Generation, the upstarts at the office who put their feet on their desks, voice their opinions frequently and loudly at meetings, and always volunteer – nay, expect – to take charge of the most interesting projects. They are smart, brash, even arrogant, and endowed with a commanding sense of entitlement. And since a new crop is graduating from Boston’s high-powered colleges and universities every year, chances are, one may be heading to your office soon.

Jean Twenge, a psychology professor at San Diego State University, says that this includes virtually everyone born after 1970. According to Twenge, these young people were raised on a daily regimen of praise and flattery from their baby boomer parents and from teachers who embraced a self-esteem-boosting curriculum that included activities like the Magic Circle game. Never heard of it? In this game, one child a day is given a badge that says “I’m great.” The other children then take turns praising the “great” child, and eventually these compliments are written up and given to the child for posterity. This constant reinforcement, argues Twenge, is largely responsible for those young co-workers who drive you nuts.

Read about it here.

[From me]

We can whine and complain about the way the next generation acts or we can find ways to minister to them.  What do you think this kind of thinking means for the church?  I mentioned on several occasions that I’m concerned greatly about the next generation.  I we don’t find ways to reach their hearts we will have a Judges 2:10 generation that grows up and knows nothing about God.

What do you think?

Study says Christianity No Longer Looks Like Jesus

[Christian Post]

Young Americans today are more skeptical and resistant to Christianity than were people of the same age just a decade ago, says a new study. Negative perceptions toward the Christian faith have outweighed the positive as a growing percentage of younger Americans associate with a faith outside Christianity.

Only 16 percent of non-Christians aged 16 to 29 years old said they have a “good impression” of Christianity, according to a report released Monday by The Barna Group. A decade ago, the vast majority of Americans outside the Christian faith, including young people, felt favorably toward Christianity’s role in society. Young people have an even lesser positive impression of evangelicals. Only 3 percent of 16- to 29-year-olds who are not of the Christian faith express favorable views of evangelicals. In the previous generation, 25 percent of young people had positive associations toward evangelicals.

Among other common impressions, 23 percent of young non-Christians said “Christianity is changed from what it used to be” and “Christianity in today’s society no longer looks like Jesus.” Young born-again Christians were just as likely to say the same (22 percent).

Read about it here.

[From me]

This really grieves me. I’m reading Bill Hybels book Holy Discontent and I believe this is my Holy Discontent that God has place on my heart. I am so concerned about the next generation. We are so busy alienating everyone that they won’t be open to listen because we have done a poor job being the hands and feet of Jesus. Too many Christians want to be “right” and become judgmental and arrogant. When did Christianity become being right over loving and ministering?

“Christianity is changed from what it used to be”

“Christianity in today’s society no longer looks like Jesus.”

Ouch!

Judges 2:10

After that whole generation had been gathered to their fathers, another generation grew up, who knew neither the LORD nor what he had done for Israel.

 

What do you think?

Scary!

[CBS News]

Scout leaders are being ousted at a rate of 1 every two days because of molestation.  

Tim Kosnoff, an attorney analyzed the numbers of child molestation in Scouts and came to this shocking conclusion: Before 1991, “a Scout leader was being tossed out for child molestation at the rate of one every three days,” he said. “Post-1991, the rate was one every two days.” That includes people suspected of abuse.

Read about it here.

[Houston Chronicle]

1 in 3 females online daters report first date sex.

Women who date online are likely to take precautions to protect their personal safety when first meeting a man face-to-face, but often are much less careful about protecting their sexual health once that encounter moves to the next level, a Houston-based study has found.

While the women who were surveyed went to great lengths to screen online acquaintances before meeting them, nearly a third reported having sex on the first date and three-quarters of those said they did not use condoms, according to the study by The University of Texas School of Public Health.

Read about it here.

[From me]

I admit I have a spiritual bias here.  Take that out I think even those without Jesus can see the dangers here.  I was in the Boy Scouts and I can’t believe that there are not more precautions taken to make sure that they have to kick out a leader every other day.  Wow! That is scary.  This is scary for Church leaders too.  If the Boy Scouts have those kind of sickos in their midst, I’ll bet churches have more than we would like to admit.

The second story is unbelievable.  How can people give away such an emotional part of themselves on a first date?  I admit I have a spiritual bias and think sex should be saved for marriage only.  But I would think even un-spiritual persons can see that sex is more than physical.

What do you think?

What Makes America’s Youth Happy?

[Christian Post]

So what really makes someone between the ages of 13 and 24 happy? It’s not what most parents or even MTV might think. According to an extensive survey, spending time with family makes the young cohort happiest. Next was spending time with friends and then a significant other.

While parents worry over a sexualized culture, sex was one of the least mentioned things that make America’s young people most happy. Being sexually active actually leads to less happiness among 13-17 year olds, according to the survey. For those 18 to 24, sex might lead to more happiness in the moment, but not in general.

Read about it here.

[From me]

I didn’t need a poll to tell me this. Isn’t it interesting how the Bible addresses the real issues that make people happy?

What do you think?

Scientic Poll…

In honor of the “scientific polls” that have been taken recently COARP has designed the following poll:

• Coke or Pepsi?

• Stabucks or Folgers?

• Charmin or Angel Soft?

• Paper or Plastic?

• Wet or Dry?

• Polls or no polls?

The results will be tabulated by an independent accounting firm — or not.