Our screens have been filled with tragic images of the ruin and destruction brought to Nepal by the earthquake on 25th April – and the unfolding tragedy of lives lost, homelessness on a mass scale, and precious cultural heritage reduced to rubble.
Natural disasters are just a normal part of life on fallen planet earth. There are between 10 and 20,000 earthquakes a year worldwide. But many of these are minor. For the last 10 years there have been 10 and 20 earthquakes of magnitude 7 and above. This year so far only 4. But it is where they strike that makes the difference between a minor paragraph on page 3 and a dominant news story for days.... continue reading
It's always important to manage expectations. And especially in evangelism.
We are thrilled to read remarkable stories of how people come to faith in Christ in dramatic and earth shaking ways. And we long for some kind of "Silver Bullet”—a perfectly pitched, unanswerable argument that will propel our friends to faith in Christ.
But the vast majority of those who are found by Christ do so after long years of unspectacular friendship, witness and prayer from faithful believers. And the truth is that some ground is harder to plough than others—much harder! Perhaps especially with Muslims.
In his recently published book Engaging with Muslims, author John Klaassen encourages us to think differently about how we view our witness to Muslim friends. He talks about moving from “Prayer” to “Presence”—spending time with Muslim friends—and then to “Proclamation” and “Persuasion” of the good news. In an illuminating chapter entitled Bridges to the Gospel, he writes:... continue reading
Which book starts, "In the past God spoke to our forefathers through the prophets at many times and in various ways…"
Who was Jacob's eldest son?
Who wrote, "Dear friends, do not be surprised at the painful trial you are suffering"
What's the combined total of chapters in the Gospels?
To whom does Hebrews 7 compare Jesus?
Who was the last judge in the book of Judges?
‘Do you have anything here to eat?’ They gave him a piece of _____, and he took it and ate it in their presence.
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Can we really appreciate modern science and be a Christian? Doesn’t one cancel out the other?
Here’s the surprising thing: there doesn’t have to be a full-blown battle between science and Christianity.
We need science—it gives us practical benefits that help us live well. We need science to help us know well—science begins to help us understand the cosmos.
But let me suggest that we also need Christianity to live well. Christianity is all about Jesus, who claimed to be the author of life. If that’s the case, then what he has to say about life is worth listening to.... continue reading
Does this situation seem familiar? You have a non-Christian friend—and you’d love for them to hear the good news of Jesus. You’ve had some spiritual conversations. Maybe you’ve outlined the basics of the gospel. They sounded interested. But what now? What’s the next step?
Most unbelievers are not ready to receive Christ after hearing the gospel only once, nor are they usually ready to come with us to church. Yet even those who are turned off by the church are still curious about the person of Jesus. Jesus is so different from what skeptics assume he will be like. He is so radical, beautiful, unpredictable and irresistible. So the next step is inviting our friends to take a look at the real Jesus—straight from the pages of Scripture. The greatest shortcut in evangelism is allowing our friends to see the real Jesus!... continue reading
How can we remain faithful to our God in a world that rejects him? Is it even worth standing firm and obeying him, when his kingdom often seems so very far away? How can we live courageously and confidently in nations that do not seek to live under God’s rule? And is it possible to be a blessing to our nations, and show the power and goodness of our God, even in a time such as ours?
Those are pressing questions for those of us who live in contexts where to be a Christian is no longer the norm (if it ever was) and is increasingly to be misunderstood, maligned and even mistreated. And since this is the context in which Daniel found himself, the book that bears his name is a book that will reassure, challenge and thrill us as we read it today.... continue reading
We're very excited to be launching the new Becky Pippert Ministries website. Find out more about Becky, the resources she's published and where you can hear her speak.
Becky is well-known for speaking at churches and conferences on the topic of evangelism around the world—inspiring and equipping Christians to share the good news of Jesus Christ. She's recently partnered with The Good Book Company to produce the DVD-based discipleship course... continue reading
Who was King David's eldest son?
Which is the correct spelling?
How many chapters does Zephaniah have?
Which is the shortest book in the Pentateuch?
The devil said to him, ‘If you are the Son of God, tell this ______ to become bread.
From Corinthians, "But God, who comforts the downcast, comforted us by the coming of _____"
Which person is most named in Genesis?
It’s a huge question, isn’t it? Hardly a day goes by when we don’t come across suffering. Devastation caused by earthquakes and tsunamis… millions living in poverty… children being abused… family breakdowns… bullying… people suffer. We suffer. So it’s right to say to God: “God, if you’re there, why don’t you do something about it?”... continue reading
Don Carson introduces Gospel Shaped Outreach:
Gospel Shaped Outreach is part of Gospel Shaped Church - a brand new curriculum from The Gospel Coalition and The Good Book Company.... continue reading
