Barna: 56% of Christians Feel Their Spiritual Life Is Entirely Private

By Filings on

“This majority of Christians is less likely to say it is very important to see progress in their spiritual life (30% say progress is important vs. 54% of those who don’t consider their faith private), less likely to say their faith is very important in their life today (45% vs. 66% agree strongly) and less likely to have weekly time with God (51% vs. 66%).” - Barna

Abiding in Christ & Bearing Fruit

By M.R. Conrad on

Reposted from Rooted Thinking.

When I was just a little guy, my parents planted a peach tree in our back yard. The tree grew as I grew. By the time I turned seven, the first few peaches appeared on that tree. I was so excited. However, the next year, we moved from that home. I never got to enjoy the fruit from that tree again, but someone did because that tree kept on bearing fruit.

New Year’s Resolutions: Some Guidance from Psalm 119:59

By Bob Gonzales on

Many Americans have welcomed 2022 by making New Year’s Resolutions. “A new year resolution,” according to one dictionary, “is a commitment that an individual makes to one or more personal goals, projects, or the reforming of a habit. This lifestyle change is generally interpreted as advantageous, and it’s done to improve [a person’s] wellbeing.”1 According to a recent study by Statista,2 the 10 most popular New Year’s resolutions are as follows (which I’ll list in reverse order):

Fading Joy: Am I Seeking an Experience or a Relationship?

By M.R. Conrad on

Reposted from Rooted Thinking.

The lights dim as the music begins to play. The energy in the crowd seems to almost crackle audibly. You feel a surge of anticipation for the songs you know, the empowering words you always hear, and the inspirational, larger-than-life people you see standing before you. At a well-designed worship service, Bible conference, or summer camp, God seems real, close, and exciting.

Review: God in the Dark: Why doubt should encourage our faith

By Filings on

“Guinness sets out to show ‘a healthy understanding of doubt should go hand in hand with a healthy understanding of faith.’ He is very careful not to encourage doubt but goes out of his way to show that wrestling with doubt is not wrong because it is not the same as unbelief.” - Brad Paulsey

My Own Little Paradise in an Ocean of Ugliness

By Filings on

“The best of us are like these few acres of natural beauty in the midst of a city chock-full of suburban sprawl and industrial ugliness. But there is one who perfectly mastered the art of living a true, beautiful, and perfect life.” - Challies

Is Facebook Discipling Your Church Members?

By Filings on

“MIT Technology Review recently showed that troll farms had reached over 140 million users on Facebook before the 2020 election. A troll farm is an organized group of users (or even bots) who intentionally craft content to exploit division and sow discord in society.” - C.Leaders

No Matter What

By Filings on

“Six weeks later, one morning I woke up deaf. The ‘bad ear’ was its normal self, but the ‘good ear’ was just gone; it was now by far the ‘bad ear.’” - Olinger