On Spiritual TransformationRoyce Ogle02/24/2010 - 
The often quoted phrase "work out your own salvation with fear and trembling" is more often than not taken out of context and misapplied, putting "self"in the seat of power only God deserves to occupy. The "work(s)" we do are in the knowledge that our part of the equation is to humbly walk with God as He directs. Paul's absolute confidence in God's ability to transform believers into the image of Christ should encourage each of us that in our own lives and the lives of those in our faith communities, God is at work! . . . 
The Next Restoration Movement
Keith Brenton
02/22/2010 - 
In short, the Restoration's prime movers were men dedicated to restoring a unified, non-denominational church at a time when a new nation had been formed of many united states. Their modus operandus was much the same as that of the nation's founders: issue a sort of declaration of independence (Barton W. Stone's document, the Last Will and Testament of the Springfield Presbytery) and then a sort of constitution (Alexander Campbell's Declaration and Address). Within a few years, their groups discovered each other and merged as a unity movement called "The Christian Connexion" (sometimes "Connection"). It was all very modern, very rational, very institutional, very corporate, and very American. As well as very, very focused on the church. . . .
Maturation Journey
Tim Woodroof
02/19/2010 - 
"Each journey recounted in Scripture involves far more than geographical transition. Biblical journeys require leaving an old life behind and progressing (slowly, arduously) to something new and unknown. There are dangers and challenges along the way. . . . God uses the 'journey theme' to teach us something important. Not just lessons about Abraham and his wanderings. Not just lessons about fickle Israel and her forty-year walk. Lessons about ourselves … about the shape of life … about the story of all those who refuse to settle for “Egypt” and, instead, launch out courageously for the home they only see dimly through the promises of God." . . .
The Restoration of Discipleship
Brian Mashburn
02/18/2010 - 
"There is such a huge difference between a religion that seeks to help people imitate Jesus Christ in heart, character, priorities and mission and a religion that seeks to imitate the historical church's external worship practices, belief systems, gathering habits, life philosophies and superficial doctrines. ... The focus on the church as a pattern for how we are to "do church", rather than a focus on Christ as a pattern for how we "do life," is a focus riddled with danger. Life-stealing, legalism-producing, religion-focused, anger-inciting, divisive danger that distracts people from the only Source of salvation of any kind. I have seen (in myself as much as in others, mind you) as much un-Christlikeness come from the (well-intentioned) focus on the church as I have from any other misguided focus on the planet." . . .
The Future of the Churches of Christ
K. Rex Butts
02/15/2010 - 
"I am suggesting if the Churches of Christ wish to have a healthy and missional future, we must restore the function of the early church and not necessarily its form. By restoring the function of the early church, we are placing discipleship as our primary objective. That is, we are striving as a body of local churches for our churches (and every individual Christian within the local church) to live just as Jesus lived, to think as Jesus thought which leads us to speak and act as Jesus did. We sought to restore the form of the earliest church and along with that came a bunch of hermeneutical assumptions too numerous to go into at this point but are nevertheless not without question. The belief was that the restoration of the primitive church form would result in Christian unity. However, that has not been the case." . . .
When Is Restoration Successful?
Rubel Shelly
02/12/2010 - 
In this brief article, first published in Lovelines in June of 1993, Rubel Shelly articulates simply and powerfully the only principle of restoration which can succeed, using the metaphor of restoring classic art. . . . "In the spring of 1990, it was my good fortune to visit Rome ever so briefly. While I was in the 'city of seven hills,' work was going on to restore some priceless art. The Sistine Chapel is one of Rome's most familiar tourist attractions. It was built in the fifteenth century and serves as the private, official papal chapel. Conclaves for the election of popes are traditionally held there." . . .
The Restoration Movement Fulfilled In Jesus Christ
Edward Fudge
02/08/2010 - 
The restoration ideal can serve a valuable purpose as a scraper, a handy tool for cleaning layers of dried and encrusted paint from the furniture in an attempt to make it shine as at the first. This can be done without glamorizing the first-century church beyond its true state as revealed in the New Testament. We must also remember that restoration is only a tool that can be helpful in serving God, not an end within itself. It is not the only tool, nor is it indispensable, for others may approach the Scriptures with a humble heart and learn what God ultimately desires, even if they never think in terms of "restoring" anything.
Transformed Into the Image of ... The Church?
Ben Overby
02/06/2010 - 
I must confess that I’m part of a growing number of Christ-followers exhausted by the powerlessness of our churches to both articulate the real goal of humanity and provide practical guidance toward that end. ... I want to do the right thing and want to want to do the right thing. And that’s the virtue taught by Aristotle and in an even superior manner taught and lived by Jesus. After all, it was Jesus who said we didn’t have a shot at the kingdom of heaven unless our righteousness exceeds the righteousness of the most righteous people of his day—the scribes and Pharisees. Jesus insisted that it wasn’t enough to do the right thing. To be good people, to be filled with His joy, he insisted that our will had to be completely changed, retrained, or recreated. . . .
Movie (P)Review: Lord, Save Us From Your Followers
Larry Bridgesmith
09/23/2009
- Walking through cities and towns across America, Merchant wore a silly suit plastered with bumper stickers and icons, slogans of faith and anti-faith. He simply asked people to choose their favorite slogan or icon while the camera rolled. Some like the fish, some liked the Darwin inside the fish. Some liked the fish eating the Darwin in a fish. Most couldn’t figure what Merchant wanted, was selling or stood for. But a significant amount of conversation was stimulated. The dialogue that has been captured is riveting, convicting and shameful. The shame is that as Christians it is frightening to hear what unbelievers, former believers and yet to be believers think of Christians. Not Jesus, but Christians. Jesus comes off wonderfully well in the movie. His followers don’t. . . .
Rethinking Romans 12:1-2 – Hear it Again, Only This Time in ContextMatt Dabbs02/20/2010 - 
I cannot tell you how many times I have heard in a sermon or Bible class Romans 12:1-2. I am not certain how many times I have quoted this verse at different times to different people. It is a powerful verse on its own. But it is an even more powerful verse when heard in its original context. In Romans 9-11 Paul was working through God’s plan for Israel and how God had made good on and continues to make good on His promises to the patriarchs. These three chapters are littered with references to God’s grace, mercy, and plan for all people (but especially Israel). . . .'Space Frontiers' Article in Christianity Today Features Greg Taylor Segment
New Wineskins Staff
02/13/2010 - The second segment of this Leadership Journal article by New Wineskins Senior Editor Greg Taylor and Lance Newsom, details the challenges of sharing space with the community at Garnett Church of Christ. . . . "For years, like many churches, we worshipped in our sanctuary on Sunday morning and prayed for ways to reach out into our community with the gospel. But for most of the week, our building was dormant, a slumbering structure full of potential and good intentions but paralyzed by tradition." . . .
Super Bowl Ad Research: New Barna Study Examines Tebow/Focus on the Family Commercial (David Kinnaman - 02/15/2010)
Religious Leaders Not Meeting Responsibility to Address Sexuality Needs of Congregants (Pattie Haubner, Dana Nachbar - 02/10/2010)
Barna Group Summarizes This Year's Research (The Barna Group - 12/21/2009)
Many Americans Mix Religious Beliefs and Practices Pew Forum Poll Finds (Robert Mills - 12/09/2009)
New Research Explores the Long-Term Effect of Spiritual Activity Among Children and Teens (David Kinnaman - 11/16/2009)
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The ZOE Group announces the return of the "Growing Deeper" component of the two Spiritual Deepening programs with Randy Harris, Jackie Halstead, Gary Holloway, and Rhonda Lowry. You know you want to be shaped into the image of Christ, and you want to go deeper into the disciplines and practices of Christian spirituality . . . but you want direction throughout the year. That's what The ZOE Growing Deeper Spirituality Program is designed to help you do. . . . MORE
Secular Sacraments
Edward Fudge
03/09/2010 - If we are very fortunate, every now and then our senses encounter beauty so transcendent that the experience becomes for us a portal or gate to the eternal. Wordsworth saw in such moments "intimations of immortality"; memories, he speculated, of the soul's existence before our birth, when "trailing clouds of glory we come from God." Drawing from Scripture instead of Plato, Celtic spirituality speaks of these experiences as "thin spaces" or "thin places" where the veil separating the seen and unseen dimensions becomes almost transparent.
Jubilee
Edward Fudge
03/07/2010 - As you know from your reading, Jubilee was part of a group of ecological instructions that God gave to Israel long before "green" was fashionable (Lev. 25). Every seven years, the Israelites were to give the farm land a sabbath (rest) year by not planting any crops or working the soil. The year after the seventh seven-year land sabbath (every fiftieth year) was the Year of Jubilee.
Family Notes - 3/4/2010
Edward Fudge
03/04/2010 - E. Earle Ellis (1926-2010) | New Wineskins Teams With GracEmail | Lynn Anderson on Suffering | Two Weeks Till Tulsa | Preaching in Oklahoma | Don't Fall Off List | Scholarly Kin No Nerd | Inside Joke
Bible A Living Word
Edward Fudge
03/02/2010 - A gracEmail subscriber asks: "Is the Bible a living, breathing, document like the U.S. Constitution, that can be variously interpreted in different times and circumstances? Or is it final, authoritative and absolute, not subject to different interpretation anytime or anywhere?"
Getting Past the Impasse (4)
02/28/2010
03/01/2010 - Non-Calvinists can help bridge the chasm between themselves and their Calvinistic brethren by recognizing that Jesus' atonement has both objective and subjective elements and by speaking in terms of both. By his sacrificial death, Jesus objectively made atonement for the sins of all humankind and created reconciliation for every human being to the Father. However, each person subjectively accepts and enjoys that atonement and reconciliation only by faith. Any human being can by disbelief reject God's atonement and reconciliation and be lost.
A quotation from the Savior for today,
A thought-provoking quote from New Wineskins writing contributors and a link to the full article containing it:
Randy Cope Shares Testimony at The Branch (Randy Cope - 09/30/2009)
Book Review: Outliers: The Story of Success (Von Mitchell - 09/25/2009)
Movie (P)Review: Lord, Save Us From Your Followers (Larry Bridgesmith - 09/23/2009)
Alphabet Psalm (by Neita Dudman - 09/15/2009)
Making Peace With Hannah (Amanda Sanders - 09/10/2009)
Mission-Minded Minister
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