Table of contents for Faith in Action (Dangerous Church)

1. Faith in Action (Dangerous Church) Part 1
2. Faith in Action (Dangerous Church) Part 2

Joshua 5 – Moving Forward
Repeating the theme of “Something new” requiring Sanctification/Consecration, Humility, and Remembrance, so that we might be Tested, we continue our walk into becoming a dangerous church as we look at Joshua 5. Here the Israelites will be challenged with being circumcised for the first time, loose the blessing of Mana, and confronted by God on the road to Jericho.

Table of contents for Brave New Ministry

1. Brave New Ministry: Part 1 – Pharisees
2. Brave New Ministry: Part 2 – People
3. Brave New Ministry: Part 3 – Paternity
4. Brave New Ministry: Part 4 – Prayer
5. Brave New Ministry: Part 5 – Pain
6. Brave New Ministry: Part 6 – Persecution

The Act of Intercession; John 8:1-11

Most often when we speak of this scripture we focus on the sinfulness of the woman. We speak of Jesus turning the situation back on the men about to stone her, but it’s because of the sinfulness of the woman. We’ll mention the fact that the man is not there, but once again it’s the sinfulness of the woman at present. And so we walk away feeling like the beauty of the situation is that Jesus prevents the woman from being stoned and saves her from death. Well, I’d like to add an even greater focus to this story: Jesus intercedes by putting Himself on the line for this woman.

Table of contents for Brave New Ministry

1. Brave New Ministry: Part 1 – Pharisees
2. Brave New Ministry: Part 2 – People
3. Brave New Ministry: Part 3 – Paternity
4. Brave New Ministry: Part 4 – Prayer
5. Brave New Ministry: Part 5 – Pain
6. Brave New Ministry: Part 6 – Persecution

We continue in our discussion of “Brave New Ministry” by talking about people. It’s easy for us to forget that the people we serve are the lambs and sheep of the world Christ charged us to love. If we are to truly embrace the world in a brave new ministry we must not forget who they are and how we a charged to love them.

John 21:15-17 Do You Love Me?

15 After breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon [uses the old name, not Peter which means rock], son of John, do you [LOVE, sacrificially, unconditionally, take a bullet] love me more than these [others around]?” “Yes, Master, you know I [feel, got your back] love you.” Jesus said, “Feed my lambs.” 16 He then asked a second time, “Simon, son of John, do you [LOVE, sacrificially, unconditionally, take a bullet] love me?” “Yes, Master, you know I [I've got feelings for you; got your back] love you.” Jesus said, “Shepherd my sheep.”

17-19 Then he said it a third time: “Simon, son of John, do you [have feelings for you; have my back] love me?” Peter was upset that he asked for the third time, “Do you love me?” so he answered, “Master, you know everything there is to know. You’ve got to know that I [I've got feelings for you; got your back] love you.”

Table of contents for Faith from the Outside In

1. Faith from the Outside In: Part 1
2. Faith from the Outside In: Part 2
3. Faith from the Outside In: Part 3
4. Faith from the Outside In: Part 4

“But If Not” Faith

So many times we ask “Do I have enough faith to believe in ________?” Perhaps the question should really be: “Do I have enough faith to keep my relationship with God even if nothing happens – or even if things get worse?”.

Here we will look at Daniel 3 and the story of the three Hebrew boys Hannaniah, Mishael, and Azariah. (You may also know them as Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, which are not their real names.) They hold the crown jewels of faith but there is so much more to their story. It’s from them that we learn about “But if not faith”.