Josh Hunt's Blog, page 287
July 19, 2014
To tweak or not to tweak
What happens if ministries are not tweaked? They become a type of ministry we never want to have: a “just because” ministry or program. A “just because” ministry serves no purpose other than existing. Why do we do this ministry? Just because. What is the purpose of investing in this program? Just because. Why do […]
A chrysalis can teach us about spiritual growth
The reminds us we must die to self. Scientists describe the process when a caterpillar turns into a chrysalis as a death of sorts. Most of the inside of the caterpillar turns into a slimy goo and is reformed into a beautiful butterfly. The caterpillar must die in order to ever take wings. Bernd Heinrich […]
July 18, 2014
Why we are not reaching the NONES
Here is the uncomfortable truth. Almost everybody who follows Christ, and almost every gathering of those Christ followers constituting a church, says the same thing: “We want to reach the world for Christ.” Yet most don’t do it. So where’s the breakdown? It’s not strategy. There are vast numbers of churches who are successfully penetrating […]
July 17, 2014
The slow, steady decline
It is undeniable that churches evolve over time. Over the life of a church, neighborhoods can change, leadership can expand and even fail, theological trends can take hold, unity can be lost, and splits can occur. Throughout all of this turmoil, congregations frequently become inward-focused and often obsessed with maintaining the status quo. Well-meaning members […]
A caterpillar can teach us about spiritual growth
A caterpillar can teach us about spiritual growth Scientists call a caterpillar an eating machine. Some caterpillars consume 27,000 times their body weight during this life phase. Caterpillars increase their body mass by as much as 1,000 times or more. Imagine if a baby did this. A typical eight pound baby would grow to four […]
July 16, 2014
The religion of the NONES
In Ross Douthat’s book Bad Religion, the New York Times columnist offers a synopsis of the core beliefs of America’s wave of “spiritual but not religious” teachers such as Deepak Chopra, James Redfield, Eckhart Tolle, Paulo Coelho, Neale Donald Walsch, Oprah Winfrey, and Elizabeth Gilbert. According to Douthat, their “creed” shares four beliefs.1 1. All […]
July 15, 2014
Have thick skin and a soft heart
My mentor, Greg Surratt of Seacoast Church in Charleston, was passing through town when I sent a Twitter message to see if he wanted lunch. This day was my official first day as the pastor of First Anna. While we ate, I talked with him for over an hour and a half. In this conversation, […]
How God changes us
The Greek word translated transformed in Romans 12:2 is metamorphóō. We get our word metamorphosis from this word. There is an interesting contrast between change that starts on the outside—conformed, and change that starts on the inside—transformed. J.B. Phillips’ paraphrase of this verse accurately describes change that starts on the outside, “Don’t let the world […]
July 14, 2014
Getting to know the NONES
But it’s more than simply being nothing. Perhaps one of the more disconcerting marks of typical nones is that they are very content with holding their “nothing in particular” stance toward religion. Among those who say they believe in “nothing in particular,” 88 percent are not even looking for a specific faith or religion. Think […]
A butterfly teaches us about spiritual growth
Here is another insight from the butterfly. When a butterfly turns from an egg to a caterpillar to a chrysalis to a butterfly, it is just becoming what it always was. You could put a mold around the egg and prevent it from growing, but the natural course of life for the egg is to […]
