Tag Archives: doctrine

IGWET Statement of Faith

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  1. Praise
    Romans 8:28 And we know that God works all things together for the good of those who love Him, who are called according to His purpose. 29 For those God foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brothers.
  2. Word
    2 Timothy 3:16 All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for instruction, for conviction, for correction, and for training in righteousness,
  3. Spirit
    John 14:26 But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have told you.
  4. Body
    Romans 12:5 so in Christ we who are many are one body, and each member belongs to one another.
  5. Blood
    1 John 1:7 But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin.
  6. Mission
    Matthew 28:18 Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to Me.
    19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit,
    20 and teaching them to obey all that I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”
  7. Reflection
    Philippians 3:13 Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead,
    14 I press on toward the goal to win the prize of God’s heavenly calling in Christ Jesus.
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Paleo-Evangelical Christianity

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I consider myself a “Paleo-Evangelical” Christian. Like my counterparts in the first century, I have had transformational encounters with the person of Jesus Christ and am devoted to making him known as the Risen Lord; but am still working through which of my inherited cultural understandings and religious teachings are worthy to bear His name.

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Becoming a Whole Christian

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I want to be a Whole Christian.

I want to love the Lord my God with all my heart, all my soul, all my mind, and all my strength, and be part of a worshipping community with others who do.

I want to love my brothers and sisters the way Christ loves me,
my neighbor as myself,
and my enemies.

Especially my enemies.  For I have discovered that I only see the log in my own eye after I find grace for the speck in someone else’s.

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LEAD! Part A, Revisited

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The LEAD! course format evolved considerably during the time I wrote it, especially in the first 3 months. We are working to publish it as a three-volume bible study, which means I need to go back and make the first few lessons consistent with the latter ones. So, I’ll try to rewrite each of the lessons from Part A at the rate of at least one per week.

The new lessons will replace the ones currently in the syllabus; links to the original lessons are archived below.

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LEAD! C.10 World-Changing Worship

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In Which We Give Up the World for God, So We Can Give God to the World

Worship is simultaneously the most personal and the most all-encompassing of all human experiences. True worship is to encounter the Divine Presence in the very depths of our being, in a posture of absolute stillness and submission.

Yet such an encounter doesn’t merely empower and inspire us; it also requires us to manifest that same Presence amidst the frenzy and confusion of this present darkness (cf. Ephesians 6:12). Even to those we think least likely to respond…

Memory Verse: “God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in spirit and in truth.”” — John 4:24 (NKJV)

Assigned Reading
  1. Richard Foster: Celebration of Discipline

    • 11. Worship
  2. Donald Whitney: Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian Life

    • 5. Worship
    • 6. Evangelism
  3. Eugene Peterson: A Long Obedience in the Same Direction

    • 4. Worship: “Let’s Go to the House of God!”
    • 16. Blessing: “Lift Your Praising Hands”

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LEAD! C.2 Meditation and Memorization

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In Which We Dwell On God’s Word, As It Dwells In Us

The purpose of the disciplines is to bring us into the presence of God, and nothing is more effective for that that deeply meditating upon and memorizing Scripture. In contrast to Eastern meditation — which is about emptying and detachment — Christian meditation is about drawing near to the Father and being filled with His Spirit as we take on the mind of Christ.

Memory Verse: “Meditate on these things; give yourself entirely to them, that your progress may be evident to all. Take heed to yourself and to the doctrine. Continue in them, for in doing this you will save both yourself and those who hear you.” — 1 Timothy 4:15-16 (NKJV)

Assigned Reading
  1. Richard Foster: Celebration of Discipline

    • Part I. The Inward Disciplines
    • 2. Meditation
  2. Donald Whitney: Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian Life

    • 3. Bible Intake (Part II)
  3. Eugene Peterson: A Long Obedience in the Same Direction

    • 10. Happiness: “Enjoy the Blessing! Revel in the Goodness!”
  4. Ruth Haley Barton: Sacred Rhythms

    • N/A

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LEAD! Part C: Skills for Service

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As mentioned earlier, the LEAD! Bible Study is a tripod, built on three legs:

  • theological education
  • character formation
  • skill development

We are over half-way through, so Part B will be ending soon — and Part C starts a week or two after that, so I need to get ready!
Here is the initial outline I used:

  1. Personal Bible Study: Understanding Scripture for ourselves
  2. Warfare Prayer: How to shake the heavens.
  3. The Slow Fast: Emptying ourselves to be filled.
  4. Memorizing the Word: Sharpening the Sword for battle.
  5. Daily Journaling: Tracking God’s activity over time.
  6. Cultivating Spiritual Gifts: For what has God made us?
  7. Failing Courageously: Taking risks, making mistakes, and learning from them.
  8. Good Things in Small Groups: Building missional communities.
  9. Constructive Criticism: ‘Tis as important to receive as to give
  10. Counseling and Discipleship: Helping people reflect God’s glory and grace.
  11. Friendship Evangelism: How to get Jesus into people’s hearts.
  12. Public Speaking: Communicating clearly and concisely.

Here’s the list the church originally proposed:

  1. Daily Journaling
  2. Devotional Prayer & Bible Study
  3. Fasting
  4. Bible Memorization
  5. Relating to Spiritual Authority
  6. Developing Spiritual Gifts
  7. Spiritual Warfare
  8. Dealing with Failure
  9. Sharing Your Faith
  10. Counseling
  11. Public Speaking
  12. Leading a Small Group

The challenge is to find a book or two to use as background reading that covers (or at least is relevant to) most of these topics. Any suggestions from my loyal readers?
Read more for a review of some possibilities, after the break…
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LEAD! Leadership Enrichment and Development

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[Or maybe: Leadership Equipping And Development]

Good news! My pastor bought off on my proposal breaking next year’s Leadership Training into three 12-week semesters, structured as a focused bible study. We are using “LEAD!” as the working title. The initial draft syllabus is below.

The catch is that I am signed up to produce all these (though once we nail down the outline, perhaps I can get others to fill in specific pieces). I suppose I’ll start by just blogging appropriate bible studies and going from there. At least I have until September…

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TELL: Theological Essentials for Lay Leaders

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As a counterpart (or even prequel) to my previous article about “safety skills“, I wanted to identify those theological topics essential for lay leaders to understand. In particular, I believe lay leaders need a more concise and practical “boot camp”, in contrast to the multi-year “officer’s training school” provided in seminaries.

Another difference in focus is that I believe (along with the writer of Proverbs) that the goal of theological education is wisdom, not mere knowledge. That is, the goal is to cover a small number of essential issue in sufficient depth to enable people to make more godly decisions — not simply provide an intellectual overview of traditional topics.

Given all that, here is my best attempt at a minimal 12-week course that covers the heart issues of contemporary theology. What are your thoughts and suggestions?

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