August 2005

Because God is love, the most important lesson he wants you to learn on earth is how to love. It is in loving that we are most like him, so love is the foundation of every command he has given us: “The whole Law can be summed up in this one command: ‘Love others as you love yourself.’” Pastors, these words take on even greater significance for those in spiritual leadership. The level of love within your church reveals the spiritual health of the fellowship.
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Key verse: “We have around us many people whose lives tell us what faith means. So let us run the race that is before us and never give up.” Hebrews 12:1 (NCV) Sandpaper People is a fresh approach to dealing with difficult people. Working from a toolbox...

Excerpted from  The Externally Focused Church  (Group Publishing, 2004). Mission Arlington was started as the serving ministry of First Baptist Church in Arlington, Texas, by a remarkable woman named Tillie Burgin. For several years, Tillie...

BATON ROUGE, La. (BP) — Taking a cue from the Old Testament prophet Nehemiah, California pastor Rick Warren told several hundred pastors, pastors’ wives, and church staff members displaced by Hurricane Katrina that “rebuilding the city is always harder...

LAKE FOREST, Calif. (PD) — In an effort to mobilize thousands of single adults to carry out the upcoming global P.E.A.C.E. Plan, a three-week series titled “Igniting a Singles Revolution” was launched Aug. 13 at Saddleback Church in Lake Forest, Calif...

If your church is interested in helping prisoners in your community overcome their hurts, habits, and hang-ups, consider starting a Celebrate Recovery ministry. For more information about Celebrate Recovery-Inside, e-mail Jan Thomas at jthomas1139@zianet...

BILOXI, Miss. (BP) — Purpose driven congregations along the United States' hurricane-ravaged Gulf Coast were among dozens of churches that opened their doors to shelter refugees from Hurricane Katrina, which made landfall early Aug. 29 as a Category...

Several experts suggest that 95 to 97 percent of American Christians do not share their faith with others. If this tragedy continues the words from the book of Judges will repeat themselves: “After this whole generation has been gathered to their fathers...