40 Days in the Word | FBC Allen

40 Days in the Word | FBC Allen - We begin the journey on Sunday!

4 Lessons for Evangelism Across Economic Boundaries

4 Lessons for Evangelism Across Economic Boundaries - Here are a few things the author
learned from leading a church that's trying to reach out to folks from
different backgrounds.

Why We Prefer Grace to Mercy

Why We Prefer Grace to Mercy - The article works through the meaning of the teaching phrase, "Mercy is the servant
to grace's glory." It's a helpful distinction.

Three Reasons to Get Some Sleep

Three Reasons to Get Some Sleep – We tend to be under-rested and over-caffeinated. God created us to work and be productive but also to rest.

Exhaustion: We Have Settled For A Sub-Human Life

Exhaustion: We Have Settled For A Sub-Human Life – The article calls for believers to “take Sunday back” in a blessed way.

Things You May Not Know About the Super Bowl

Things You May Not Know About the Super Bowl - It's the good, the bad, and the ugly.

Fear Doesn’t Have to Control You

Fear Doesn’t Have to Control You – A good article on a common, hot topic.

A Prayer for Remembering the Bible’s Main Storyline

A Prayer for Remembering the Bible’s Main Storyline - It's good to be reminded that the stories tell a story.

Missionary Dating and Other Bad Ideas

Missionary Dating and Other Bad Ideas – There are several good things in the article about dating and marriage.

Jesus Is Better

Jesus Is Better - Yes He is!

Contentment, The Stealth Prosperity Gospel, and Spiritual Greed

Contentment, The Stealth Prosperity Gospel, and Spiritual Greed - With so many true believers being sucked into the prosperity gospel false teaching, it's a good idea to understand it. 

A Prayer for Grace to Love Well in Messy Relationships

A Prayer for Grace to Love Well in Messy Relationships - It's a prayer focus worth considering because relationships will always be messy.

The Effect of Your Life in 1,400 Years

The Effect of Your Life in 1,400 Years – This is an interesting story from history with good applications for today.

Elijah Was a Weak Sinner

Elijah Was a Weak Sinner – A quick Bible lesson with plenty of applications.

Why Doesn’t God Answer My Prayers?

Why Doesn’t God Answer My Prayers? – Sometimes there is a reason and sometimes there is not. The author of this article shares some of both.

A Lukewarm Interpretation of Hot and Cold

A Lukewarm Interpretation of Hot and Cold - Good observations on what Jesus
intended when He said, "Because you are lukewarm--neither hot nor cold--I
am about to spit you out of my mouth." 

Seven Reasons Very Active Church Members Drop Out

Seven Reasons Very Active Church Members Drop Out - An interesting article about an all too common topic in church life.

9 Things You Should Know About the Holocaust

9 Things You Should Know About the Holocaust - Today is Holocaust Remembrance
Day, an annual international day of commemoration in memory of the victims of
the Holocaust. Here are nine things you should know about one of the most
horrific genocidal campaigns in history:

Where’s Waldo? God always knows…

Where’s Waldo? God always knows…

5 Really Bad Reasons To Leave Your Church

5 Really Bad Reasons To Leave Your Church – These are commonly heard stories.

The Shortest Commentary on the Bible

The Shortest Commentary on the Bible – This is a set of tweets, one for each book of the Bible. Some are very good. Example: Amos: Hallelujah! The Lord is here! Run for your lives!

3 Dangers of Being Stressed Out

3 Dangers of Being Stressed Out - There are three major spiritual dangers of busyness.

We Don't Have to Read the Book or See the Movie to Know Heaven Is Real

We Don't Have to Read the Book or See the Movie to Know Heaven Is Real - This article may challenge some views you have about the abundance of "heaven is for real" stories that have popped up to become best-sellers and popular movies. It's worth a read.

Bible Reading Time

Bible Reading Time – How long would it take an average Bible reader to read any of the books of the Bible in a sitting? I have found that is a great way to read a book in the Bible. Here’s a graphic that will help you know how long it would take.

Three Tips for Better Bible Reading

Three Tips for Better Bible Reading – These are helpful encouragements for our Bible reading.

Helping Someone Through a Salvation Experience

Helping Someone Through a Salvation Experience - David Platt writes about the experience of helping others come to faith in Christ.

Intellectual Discipleship? Faithful Thinking for Faithful Living

Intellectual Discipleship?Faithful Thinking for Faithful Living – Al Mohler writes, “The biblical master narrative serves as a framework for the cognitive principles that allow the formation of an authentically Christian worldview.”

The Most and Least Bible-Minded Cities in the U.S. in 2014

The Most and Least Bible-Minded Cities in the U.S. in 2014 - The Dallas/Fort Worth area is #22 (behind Bakersfield, CA).

What To Do When People Want A Church To Grow...But Not Change

What To Do When People Want A Church To Grow...But Not Change - A truth-filled and convicting article for church leaders.

Why We’re Addicted to Easy Prayers

Why We’re Addicted to Easy Prayers – Offers a challenging thought on living a life of errands vs. a life of adventures.

Putting Off Cynicism

Putting Off Cynicism – “We need to understand cynicism, because the masks we wear tell us about the wounds we hide, and point us to the Savior who yearns to mend them.”

The Death of Witnessing

The Death of Witnessing - My favorite part of the article is the author's letter to his iPod. The piece touches on the obstacle our technology has become in sharing our faith.

7 Tips on Teaching and Preaching the Old Testament

7 Tips on Teaching and Preaching the Old Testament - These are helpful pointers in opening up all of God's word in study.

The Proud Pursuit of Humility

The Proud Pursuit of Humility – Sometimes the prideful are looked up to because of their confidence, albeit broken. Sometimes the self-doubter is looked up to because of their humility, albeit broken. 

Hurry!

Hurry! – Staci Eastin writes, “We rush for two reasons: we’re either too busy or too lazy.”

4 Strategies for Silencing Rumor-Mongers

4 Strategies for Silencing Rumor-Mongers – The article provides helpful strategies for silencing the rumor mill.

9 (More) Things You Should Know About Roe v. Wade

9 (More) Things You Should Know About Roe v. Wade - Today is the forty-first anniversary of the landmark abortion decision, Roe v. Wade, in which the Supreme Court eliminated the abortion laws of all 50 states.

The Benefits of a Church Membership Class

The Benefits of a Church Membership Class - Thom Rainer writes about church membership classes and I find his observations to be right on target.

Relentlessly Call Abortion What It Really Is

Relentlessly Call Abortion What It Really Is – “Abortion is the intentional killing of unborn children.”

Confessions of a Reluctant Servant

Confessions of a Reluctant Servant - “God does not call the capable,
he makes capable the called. He doesn't give us a task and then expect us to
figure out how to do it on our own. Rather, he provides everything we need to
serve him through his Spirit.”

The Gospel for a Gay Friend

The Gospel for a Gay Friend - This is a well-written article on a complicated topic.

The World's 85 Richest People Have as Much Money as the World's Poorest 3.5 Billion

The World's 85 Richest People Have as Much Money as the World's Poorest 3.5 Billion – You could read that headline every day for the rest of your life, and it'd probably never fully sink in. 

3 Desires of “Pastor James”

3 Desires of “Pastor James” – James, the half-brother of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, is the author of one of the most commonly read New Testament exhortations to believers concerning trials.

9 Things You Should Know About Martin Luther King, Jr.

9 Things You Should Know About Martin Luther King, Jr. - Interesting insights and #6 in the list, dealing with King's theology, is particularly of interest.

Raising Kids to Care About Missions

Raising Kids to Care About Missions - How can you develop a heart for the world in the hearts of your children?

A Prayer for Keeping Our First Love First

A Prayer for Keeping Our First Love First - This is a good application for our heart of worship.

Five Benefits of Asking God to Hurry

Five Benefits of Asking God to Hurry – This is a helpful perspective on those times we need God to come through soon.

What Makes a Joyful Home

What Makes a Joyful Home (Ten Reflections) – Good thoughts on family, home, and joy.

A Prayer for Trusting More in King Jesus Than in Me

A Prayer for Trusting More in King Jesus Than in Me - A strong perspective on the story of Daniel.

The Weakness of the World’s Strongest Man

The Weakness of the World’s Strongest Man - “When the writer of Hebrews listed the Old Testament heroes of faith, he included Samson (Hebrews 11:32). Really? Samson’s story, recorded in Judges 13–16, reads like a narcissistic super hero’s whose Kryptonite weakness does him in in the end.” What can we learn from Samson?

8 Reasons Why Joseph Was a Great Leader

8 Reasons Why Joseph Was a Great Leader – These are traits that characterized Joseph’s life and are worth noting and living.

9 Things You Should Know About Poverty in America

9 Things You Should Know About Poverty in America - You need to know.

What's the Purpose of Our Work?

What's the Purpose of Our Work? Jenni Catron writes, “How does my drive for significance complement God's purpose for me? Or does it? How does work intersect with calling? How do I fulfill God's calling when I must also work?”

Don’t Waste Time with Your Children

Don’t Waste Time with Your Children – Christina Fox writes, “There is nothing we can do to manipulate or take control of time itself. It moves on at the same rate of speed it always has, hour by hour, minute by minute, second by second. The highway of time has no rest stops — only non-returnable exits.”

The Distinct, Positive Impact of a Good Dad

The Distinct, Positive Impact of a Good Dad – This article from The Atlantic focuses on how fathers contribute to their kids' lives

The Mother I Meant to Be

The Mother I Meant to Be – Staci Eastin writes, “I’ve had two goals over the last decade or so: lose weight and be a better mother. And every morning in the mirror I see that the weight is still there and I’m still not the mother I meant to become.” She comes to some good conclusions.

Evolution Is Most Certainly a Matter of Belief—and so Is Christianity

Evolution Is Most Certainly a Matter of Belief—and so Is Christianity – Al Mohler comments on a recent USA Today article and its inaccuracies in relation to evolution and the Christian faith.

5 Questions to Ask Before Posting To Social Media

5 Questions to Ask Before Posting To Social Media – Some guidelines for thinking before you post.

Discipleship: When is Enough Enough?

Discipleship: When is Enough Enough? – “How can leaders tell if they are making mature disciples? Paul gives us three places to look: the heart, the head, and the hands of disciples.”

How to Counsel as a Friend

How to Counsel as a Friend - “While there is certainly a place for formal counseling, there is also much to be said for casual interactions and normal conversations with friends to help us deal with our difficulties.”

Missions: Rescuing from Hell and Renewing the World

Missions: Rescuing from Hell and Renewing the World – This is a really interesting article about the impact of missionaries (Gospel preaching missionaries) on the cultures and societies where they ministered.

“In 2012, sociologist Robert Woodberry published the astonishing fruit of a decade of research into the effect of missionaries on the health of nations. The January/February 2014 issue of Christianity Today tells the story of what he found in an article called “The World the Missionaries Made.”

“There is a lesson implicit in these findings that I would like to draw out for the sake of the eternal fruitfulness of missions as well as her power to transform cultures.”

See the summary and commentary on the study….

Busy All the Time: Over-Scheduled Children and the Freedom of the Gospel

Busy All the Time: Over-Scheduled Children and the Freedom of the Gospel - Here's a hot topic.

3 Ways We Try to Mask Death

3 Ways We Try to Mask Death - This is a good word on a tough topic.

Eight Characteristics of Sanctification

Eight Characteristics of Sanctification - Some of these you will expect and some might surprise you.

6 Deadly Enemies of Marriage

6 Deadly Enemies of Marriage – Tim Challies provides a good set of thoughts on strengthening marriage.

The End of Morality Laws? Not Exactly

The End of Morality Laws? Not Exactly – Al Mohler addresses the idea that morality laws are becoming a thing of the past.

A Prayer for Parenting by Faith and Grace

A Prayer for Parenting by Faith and Grace - Parenting takes a good helping of both.

The Top 50 Countries Where It's Hardest To Be a Christian

The Top 50 Countries Where It's Hardest To Be a Christian – “Twice as many Christians were killed for their faith in 2013 as in 2012, according to the latest report on the world's top 50 violators of Christian religious freedom.”

8 Uncomfortable Prayer Moments

8 Uncomfortable Prayer Moments – Fun for a Friday.

Family Devotions

Family Devotions – “Do you struggle with getting your kids to pay attention in family devotions? Try leveraging their natural propensity for play.” Here is a simple plan for family devotions with younger children.

3 Biggest Reasons Why Bible Reading is Down

3 Biggest Reasons Why Bible Reading is Down – I don’t know that these are the “biggest” reasons but they are reasons.

Pastor Andy Stanley Tells Christians ‘how to be rich’

Pastor Andy Stanley Tells Christians ‘how to be rich’ – Jonathan Merritt interviews Andy Stanley about his new book. It’s a good perspective.

Reading the Bible Like Jesus: Matt. 22:31

Reading the Bible Like Jesus: Matt. 22:31 - This is a good article on reading the Bible as an interaction with God.

What Would Polygamy Do to Society?

What Would Polygamy Do to Society? – The topic is on TV, in the news, and is being addressed in the courts. What would it’s impact be?

The Universe Had a Beginning

The Universe Had a Beginning - Dr. Stephen Meyer tells the story of how Hubble showed Einstein that the universe was not eternal but must have had a beginning.

A Prayer Honoring God as Abba Father, not Sugar Daddy

A Prayer Honoring God as Abba Father, not Sugar Daddy - This is a prayer on how we think about God and how we think about God will direct our praying.

Is Recreational Marijuana Use a Sin?

Is Recreational Marijuana Use a Sin? - Joe Carter addresses what most Christians would see as a straightforward issue. How do you know and explain biblically that it is sin? 

Six Ways to Look Godly While Not Growing your Faith in 2014

Six Ways to Look Godly While Not Growing your Faith in 2014 - How to look great while doing little.

Did You See the Latest Pope Hoax?

Did You See the Latest Pope Hoax? - Denison reminds us that not everything that shows up on the Internet is true and that Satan is always a liar and the father of lies.

Waiting on God is Hard, and That’s OK

Waiting on God is Hard, and That’s OK – 4 Lessons God can teach you through waiting.

What to Do When Faith Dies

What to Do When Faith Dies – Steve Fuller writes about what to do when your faith needs reviving.

5 Ways Physical Training Helps With Spiritual Training

5 Ways Physical Training Helps With Spiritual Training - “One would have to be living under a rock to not know we have grown larger as a people in the United States. Obesity is a growing concern in our nation. And, few in the church have bothered with the issue or even seen it as a problem. We have no problem addressing issues such as greed or guilt, but seldom do we approach the word gluttony. Yet, in my opinion, and experience, how I feel physically almost always impacts my spiritual life.”

14 Favorite Ways to Twist the Gospel |

14 Favorite Ways to Twist the Gospel - Howard Snyder makes several interesting points.

Seven Details to See in Your Past

Seven Details to See in Your Past – Take time to consider where God has been at work in your life in the past.

What Does It Mean to Remember Jesus in the Lord

What Does It Mean to Remember Jesus in the Lord - This article brings fresh insight into the Lord's Supper.

How to Pray for the Persecuted Church

How to Pray for the Persecuted Church – Cru provides a helpful resource for praying. They write, “Since Jesus laid down His life, 43 million Christians have become martyrs. Right now 200 million people face persecution for believing in Jesus and 60% of those people are children, according to Christians in Crisis International Ministry, a prayer advocacy ministry for persecuted believers.”

How the Persecuted Church Became Personal for Me

How the Persecuted Church Became Personal for Me - Jim Denison reminds us of the millions of Christians who face persecution today in our world. 

Why Faith?

Why Faith? - This article covers a lot of political ground but the quote that is so true was this one, “The people of the world will bring up every bad act the Christian has committed not so much to discredit the Christian with others, but to discredit the Christian with himself so he shuts up and gives up.”

Worship in Spirit and Truth

Worship in Spirit and Truth – Worship is something we learn to do and we learn by doing.

How to Read the Whole Bible in 2014

How to Read the Whole Bible in 2014 - I'm reposting this one. It has great helps for encouraging your Bible reading in 2014.

Bible Reading Guides | FBC Allen

Bible Reading Guides | FBC Allen - We have provided several options for reading the Bible in  2014.

Fourteen Predictions for American Churches for 2014 – Part 2

Fourteen Predictions for American Churches for 2014 – Part 2 - This is Thom Rainer's second post on trends in church life in the year ahead. As with the first list, many of these things are already becoming prominent.

Four Lessons I Learned About Legacy

Four Lessons I Learned About Legacy – Drew Hensley writes, “Jesus loves working through families, seeing lives changed and legacies of faith built. And there is no greater gift you can pass on to the next generation than the gift of the gospel.”

Grace Has Brought Me Safe Thus Far

Grace Has Brought Me Safe Thus Far – John Newton wrote his most famous song, “Amazing Grace” for a New Year’s Day worship service. In this first week of a new year, this familiar song looks back to the past, sees the present, and anticipates the future.

See the article…

Don’t Teach the Bible

Don’t Teach the Bible – This is a good article with strong applications for church leaders.

An Oh-So-Subtle Twist

An Oh-So-Subtle Twist - “I’ve been mulling over one phenomenon I couldn’t help but notice throughout the [Duck Dynasty] controversy, something that has been slightly bothering me.” Brian Mattson points out something worth considering in our spiritual discussions.

Milestones in Ministry (Seminary Can’t Prepare You For)

Milestones in Ministry (Seminary Can’t Prepare You For) - As a pastor, these events marked my life as well.

Some Thoughts on the Reading of Books

Some Thoughts on the Reading of Books – Al Mohler provides some helpful direction on reading books. I choose carefully the books I read and digest a good number of them each year. Mohler gives helpful suggestions on developing a reading habit.

Why Does God Allow Burdens?

Why Does God Allow Burdens? - A quote often attributed to Mother Teresa is, “I know God will not give me anything I can’t handle. I just wish that he didn’t trust me so much.” It’s a clever line. But it’s not right.

The New Year for Your Children

The New Year for Your Children - Goals for your intentional parenting opportunities.

The Most Important Skill

The Most Important Skill - “In 2014, in our hyper-overwhelmed, affluent, media-saturated culture, the scarce resource is attention. So we need to learn a new skill. The most important skill for 2014 is deciding what you will pay attention to.”

The Socially Acceptable Sin

The Socially Acceptable Sin - “Gluttony has never been merely an addiction to food. And if we look at it in its original definition and context, gluttony becomes far closer to home than we’d like to admit. At its simplest, gluttony is the soul’s addiction to excess.” 

Fourteen Predictions for American Churches for 2014 — part one

Fourteen Predictions for American Churches for 2014 — part one - This is an interesting list from Thom Rainer.

The Bible - How to Change Your Mind

How to Change Your Mind - This only works if you try it. The application is toward your Bible reading. The author writes, "Christians often talk about having a Biblical worldview yet most have only a rudimentary knowledge of the Bible. They attempt to build a framework without first gathering the lumber and cement needed to create a solid foundation."

A Prayer for the 1st Day of 2014

A Prayer for the 1st Day of 2014

3 Kinds of Bible Students

3 Kinds of Bible Students – “Invest your time in the Bible and there is a payoff,” writes John Kohlenberger, III. How much time? Ten minutes a day for the average reader will result in reading through the Bible in a year. But there are different ways to read the Bible, three different attitudes and approaches, three different kinds of Bible students.”

Download the Entire ESV Bible on MP3: Free in January

Download the Entire ESV Bible on MP3: Free in January - As I have mentioned, I am moving to the ESV as my preaching Bible in 2014. I wanted to pass on this opportunity.