In the last post we thought about some of the inadequate reasons for developing men-specific ministries in the local church. We suggested that it should be the Gospel that is the driving force for men's ministry - that it should be Christ centred, not man centred.
That means that the primary goal of men’s ministry should be to understand the gospel of Christ before understanding our own masculinity! Our aim will be to explore what it means that Jesus is Christ our Lord in all areas of our lives as men, before exploring what it means to be male! Our purpose is primarily understanding Jesus as our saving ruler—not understanding the complexities of the Y chromosome.... continue reading
What’s today’s most popular news story on the BBC website? That David Cameron’s daughter, Nancy, was accidently left behind in a pub after a family lunch.
It turns out that David went home in one car, with his bodyguards, while Samantha was in another with the other children. Dave thought their daughter was with Sam. Sam thought she was with Dave.
The mistake was discovered when they got home, at which point a quick phone call established that Nancy was still at the pub, and Dad dashed back to collect her. The readers’ comments left on the website are a mix of “it could happen to anyone – no harm done” and “this is totally shocking – how dare the Prime Minister lecture us about family values when he loses his own daughter”.... continue reading
This week on The Good Book Blog we're going to be thinking about Men's Ministry. But first it's worth stopping and thinking: do we actually need specific ministries for men?
The whole trend of western society over the last 50 years has been towards integration of the sexes in every other area of life. We now routinely have co-educational schools, work in companies where men and women work together at all levels, and even the traditional divisions of family life are a matter of negotiation. Shouldn't we view separate ministries for men and women in the same way? A dinosaur relating to an age when social expectations were run on different lines, where women stayed home, and men were the main breadwinner?... continue reading
Then the king called together all the elders of Judah and Jerusalem. He went up to the temple of the Lord with the men of Judah, the people of Jerusalem, the priests and the prophets—all the people from the least to the greatest. He read in their hearing all the words of the Book of the Covenant, which had been found in the temple of the Lord. The king stood by the pillar and renewed the covenant in the presence of the Lord—to follow the Lord and keep his commands, regulations and decrees with all his heart and all his soul, thus confirming the words of the covenant written in this book. Then all the people pledged themselves to the covenant.
2 Kings 23 v 1–3
So how familiar are you with the people of the Bible? Do you think you could name all of the people who are mentioned 14 times or more? And do so in 20 minutes? Well, why not give it a go? Just follow this link and see how you do.
One little hint - you might like to revise the Kings of Israel before you start!
We're doing 50% off this great book by Ben Cooper. It covers the difficult doctrine of how a loving God has to punish sin. Born out of Ben's own thinking through on this topic he provides a straight-forward explanation that points us back to the cross with a deeper vision of what Jesus did for His people there.
By using the code justlove at checkout on our UK, US or Australian website you'll get this massive saving. To make it even better......it also works for the eBook versions too!
Offer expires 15/06/2012.
If you're looking for a short book on the justice and the compassion of God, maybe this is the one for you ... We're going to be doing a great deal on it this weekend so do check back later today!
And another small person has recently arrived in the Good Book family! Congratulations to our graphic designer, Andre Parker and his wife on the arrival of their fourth child - baby Jacob.
Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good!
Religious awakening helps Pacquiao regain control of life
Deadly blast hits Nigeria church
Atheists in the Foxholes - as Chaplains
Christian Legal Society Loses in Supreme Court Case
What Does the Manhattan Declaration Really Mean?
Disclaimer: The Good Book Company is not responsible for the content of external sites and does not necessarily agree with the content of articles listed.
They say that a picture is worth a thousand words, and that's certainly true when it comes to grabbing attention, and helping people engage with the Gospel.
In the pulpit, we paint "word pictures" to engage the imagination and interest of our listeners. When it comes to the Gospel in print - pictures help most of us engage effectively with the big ideas of the Bible in memorable and impactful ways. Bridge to life; Christianity Explored; Two ways to live. I rest my case.
To try to find new ways of adorning the gospel for adults and children, we are hunting for fresh illustrators to work with, so this blog is a request to anyone out there to ask: do you know of people who God has gifted in this skill who we might think about working with? Please get in touch and let us know. Paste a link to their illustration online in the reply box, or email us at creative@thegoodbook.co.uk.
