When the disciples asked Jesus to teach them to pray, he demonstrated to them a way of praying that was to paradigmatic of all Christian prayer - what we know as "The Lord's Prayer" or the "Our Father." Right in the middle of this prayer we find the words, "On earth as it is in heaven,” words which would serve as a measuring stick and guide for what his disciples were called to pursue.
Read MoreCatholic culture leans heavily towards traditionally left-brain traits that value fact, analysis, and structure. By contrast, large segments of the Evangelical world that have embraced more right-brain, relational approaches to ministry are seeing significantly better results in the areas of evangelism and discipleship. Despite the evidence, many Catholics remain resistant to the idea of adopting Evangelical approaches or learning from their methods.
Read MorePaul's letters in the New Testament are not his primary evangelism tool. They are not his first contact with the Romans, Galatians, etc. They are a follow-up to his in-person preaching of the Gospel in those places. So it is worth asking, based on these letters, "What would Paul's original preaching have to have been like?"
Read MoreI had one goal when starting out this series of posts - to end the Catholic love affair with suffering, at least in the minds of some. In this final post (4/4), I want to focus on how to live a victorious Christian lifestyle. This is not a formula - all of this must flow out of a living, breathing relationship with Christ - but is meant to provide certain guideposts for pursuing the victory that Jesus has already won and wishes to extend to us.
Read MoreGo ahead and re-read the Gospels. Keep a tally if you want. See how much it portrays the triumph of Christ over what afflicts man, over what steals, kills, and destroys in man's life, versus how much it talks about the need to embrace suffering in our life. (Post 3/3 on suffering.)
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