Here are some interesting and/or useful things from around the web this week:
- Friendship Counts – Tim Parlier – “I am convicted that apart from deep friendships, we are merely teaching techniques, theories, “playing church,” or even “playing married” for that matter. If I can be so bold as to say, friendship isn’t a nice element in a successful missional community or church; friendship is discipleship, mission, and the gospel.”
- 8 Ways to Easily Be Missional – Jonathan Dodson – “Missional is not an event we tack onto our already busy lives. It is our life. Mission should be the way we live, not something we add onto life: “As you go, make disciples.”; “Walk wisely towards outsiders”; “Let your speech always be seasoned with salt”; “be prepared to give a defense for your hope.” We can be missional in everyday ways without overloading our schedules. Here are a few suggestions …”
- How Many Christians? – Philip Jenkins – Here is an interesting article that attempts to determine the number of Christians in the early church and compares it to today.
- What Happens to Those Who Never Hear the Gospel? – Matt Smethurst – “The man on the island. Perhaps you’ve encountered him in a friend’s argument against Christianity. Maybe you’ve even voiced the objection yourself. How could a good and loving God condemn to hell someone who’s never heard of him? When it comes to this emotionally vexing issue, there are two dominant positions among professing Christians: inclusivism and exclusivism. While both views maintain that Jesus is the only way to God, only one insists on the necessity of conscious faith in him.”
- No More Boredom – Randy Alcorn – “Our belief that Heaven will be boring betrays a heresy—that God is boring. There’s no greater nonsense. What’s true is that our desire for pleasure and the experience of joy come directly from God’s hand.”
