Rick Warren's Online Community for Pastors and Church Leaders
By Claude King
Years ago, while reading one of my dozens of books by Andrew Murray, I learned that our modern posture of prayer (kneeling with hands clasped with head bowed) didn't come from Judaism but from a medieval ceremony. I undertook a study of that ceremony while writing a booklet, "Consecrate the People: Renewing Our Covenant …
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Hank Hannegraaff chats with Bobby Conway of The One Minute Apologist about why Christians need to be part of a church. This is the kind of clip that's great to share with people on the fence about the role of the family of God in the life of the believer. …
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By James A. Smith Sr./Florida Baptist Witness
Pornography is the "pink elephant in the pew" -- the embarrassing, big subject no one wants to talk about -- and that silence is feeding a "bubonic plague" harming churches, pastor Jay Dennis told state Baptist convention executive directors and editors gathered in Oklahoma City.
"Our …
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When a new believer is baptized, it's a momentous event. A life's been changed for eternity! Try these fresh ideas to make baptism a true celebration:
Smile. Express true joy. Baptism is a holy ordinance, but it's also a joyful event. I love it when the church breaks into spontaneous cheers or applause.
Get personal. One church …
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By Jimmie Davidson
“You have heard me teach things that have been confirmed by many reliable witnesses. Now teach these truths to other trustworthy people who will be able to pass them on to others.” (2 Timothy 2:2 NLT)
As a new member of the Saddleback staff, I know I’m here because of the principle of stewardship. Saddleback …
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By Mark Coppenger
It's fun to study surnames, or last names, as distinguished from Christian names, or first names. Back in history, when things got crowded, they had to add second names to sort out all the people named "John" or "James" or "Mary" or "Ruth." So they turned to four contextual features -- location (as in Lois "Hill"); …
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If you want to start a heated debate among a group of Christians, just bring up Paul’s admonition that wives should submit to their husbands. But that debate is a distraction from the bigger issue: All Christians must submit to Jesus.
Theologian Dietrich Bonhoeffer has convinced me that the number one reason so many of us are stuck …
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By Buddy Owens
I remember only two things about my college biology class: the broken clock that hung on the wall behind my professor’s desk and this definition of culture: “A colony of microorganisms or cells grown in a specially prepared nourishing environment.” Sounds like the church, doesn’t it? Each congregation is a colony …
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The writer of Proverbs 6:16-19 lists seven sins the Lord hates, but new Barna research seeks to uncover the sins current mankind loves.
While the Lord is said to hate "a proud look, a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood, a heart that devises wicked plans, feet that are swift in running to evil, a false witness who speaks lies, …
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We’re showing you this letter from Rick to the Saddleback Staff for a couple of reasons.
First, it is reflective of the way Rick communicates to the staff.
He says things in a positive way and conveys his own sense of excitement about the things that are happening at the church.
He gives tangible examples that show success, and …
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I want to share my best ideas with you each week, along with a ton of great content, fresh ideas, downloadable resources, and more... all for FREE!
