Jason Sneed Simple Thoughts

Weekly Points To Ponder – June 6, 2014


Points To Ponder

Missouri principal wows crowd, angers atheists with guarded ‘God’ references – Foxnews.com

A Missouri high school principal who garnered thunderous applause and a starring role in a viral video for a commencement speech in which he repeatedly invoked God in ways to dodge First Amendment objections has atheists seeing red.

Lebanon High School Principal Kevin Lowery can be seen on a 3-minute YouTube clip reminding graduates that the nation’s motto of “In God We Trust” can be found on U.S. currency and in Francis Scott Key’s original version of “The Star-Spangled Banner.” Lowery also wryly noted during the May 23 commencement that even though “God is reflected in the very fabric” of the nation, it would be inappropriate to mention The Almighty at a secular ceremony.

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Mission Trends: 4 Trends for Churches to Consider – The Exchange

Despite what many think, the church in America is not dying (and no serious researcher thinks that). However, there are some challenges and changes to be considered.

When we consider missiology, part of the discipline includes considering how churches relate to their culture. Since we live in changing times, it’s worth thinking through what current cultural changes mean for future church engagement of that culture.

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Five Things Every Christian Needs to Grow, Revised & Expanded [Kindle Edition] – FREE

How do I pray? How do I study the Bible? How do I worship? How do I serve? How do I become a good steward? These are the questions every Christian should be asking. The answers are what every Christian needs to know.

WHY CHRISTIANITY WITHOUT CHRIST IS TOXIC – Verge Network

Alan Hirsch says, “…Folks, Christianity without Christ: dangerous, toxic, evil even…It’s non-sense and it’s dangerous stuff. Who wants Christianity without Christ? And the only way you get Christianity with Christ is to do discipleship, because that’s how Christ gets into us.”

(Watch Video)

Fathers, Are You Blessing Your Children? – Children Desiring God

Fathers, do you and other men in your church regularly speak blessings over your children? Do you wish that you did, but perhaps need some help getting started?

Pastor David Michael started blessing his daughters every night when they were 7 and 10 years old. He had seen The Blessing, a film featuring Gary Smalley and John Trent (copyright©1991, Thomas Nelson), and was inspired and challenged to be a blessing to his family. As he considered the calling and responsibilities of fatherhood, he felt moved to pronounce Aaron’s blessing from Numbers 6 over his girls.

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Jason Sneed Simple Thoughts

Weekly Points To Ponder – May 2, 2014

Points To Ponder

 

Every Christian’s 2nd Most Important Book – Christianity.com

For Christians, the Bible is the most precious and important book we possess. In its pages are the divinely inspired words that guide us to know and love our God.

After the Bible, there are a few books that every believer should probably read, reread, and apply. On this short list would be works like Foxe’s Book of Martyrs, Pilgrim’s Progress,Augustine’s Confessions, Mere Christianity, Knowing God, and Operation World. But even these great works fall behind what I consider the second most important book for every Christian.

Wounds and Warriors – Crosswalk.com

Like soldiers returning from battle, all of us bring injuries, memories and enemies back to our relationships that can sabotage our lives. We are walking wounded with battle scars, broken hearts, and snake-bitten minds. Unfortunately, these wounds are not badges of honor either. When the right buttons are pushed, a cascade of emotions, conflicts and behaviors are ejected onto our relationships, homes and our work.

Cutting The Cord – Relevant Children’s Ministry

A recent report from iKids Weekly says the U.S. population of “cord-cutters” grew by 44% between 2010 and 2013.

There are over 7.6 million households using high-speed internet for streaming or downloading videos today instead of watching traditional cable or satellite television, up from 5.1 million homes in 2010.

My Wife Has Tattoos: Marriage, New Birth, and the Gospel – Unspoken

Today is the day of my wedding. And I am not marrying the girl of my dreams.

If you would have told me when I was a teenager that my wife would have seven tattoos, a history in drugs, alcohol, and attending heavy metal concerts, I would have laughed at you, given you one of my courtship books, and told you to take a hike. My plans were much different, much more nuanced with careful planning, much more clean-cut, and much more, well, about me.

Church Take Heed! Matthew Vines’s Unbiblical Case for Same-Sex Relationships – Answers In Genesis

On April 22, 2014, a new attack on the reliability and perspicuity of Scripture was released. God and the Gay Christian is a book that seeks to teach readers that the Bible condones living a monogamous homosexual lifestyle. The author, Matthew Vines, is an openly homosexual man and a professing Christian, whose video on homosexual behavior went viral and gave Vines a platform from which to declare his views.1 Being an openly practicing homosexual and claiming to be a Christian often means the person has an agenda to attempt to make the Words of Scripture fit with his worldview. This is the case with Matthew Vines. His attitude toward Scripture is like that of Christians who believe in evolution and millions of years, and thus reinterpret the clear words of Genesis to fit their already held beliefs. It is compromise right down the line. We do pray the church realizes this!