Friday May 24, 2013
Francis Chan is not your typical Christian celebrity. He has founded a prominent church and Bible college, authored multiple best-selling books, and is a sought-after speaker. Yet, Chan's extreme success in ministry is not the achievement that sets him apart.
In 2010, Francis Chan stepped down as senior pastor of his 16-year, 4,000-member congregation. "I think there has been too much emphasis on me," he said at the time. "I want to be used by God, but I think we have this desire to make heroes out of people rather than following God and the Holy Spirit."
Chan gives all of the royalties from his wildly popular book, Crazy Love, to the Isaiah 58 Fund, a nonprofit that helps the poor and fights human trafficking. Nowadays, Chan's speaking ministry focuses on reviving Christian discipleship in the body of Christ. And when I've heard him share, he seems honest and vulnerable, a genuine example of the type of godly leadership the church needs today.
Learn about Francis Chan's counterculture way of life and the "less is more" vision that motivates him:
Image: © David C. Cook
Thursday May 23, 2013
This week's post is a member-submitted Christian poem called The Next Step. Regardless of human plans, our lives are full of twists, turns, and surprises. This poem is about trusting God with our futures, and the sweet peace that faith can bring.
Photo: Christine Balderas / Getty Images
The next step, dear Lord—
Where will it lead?
What will it be?
What are the hidden things beyond
That lie in store for me?
Does happiness await?
Does pain and poverty?
Failure? Success?
How can I know the fate awaiting me?
Read more of ... The Next Step by Mother Mary Beth Kennedy.
Do you have an original Christian prayer that would encourage or benefit a fellow believer? Perhaps you've written a unique poem you'd like to share with others. We are looking for Christian prayers and poems to encourage our readers in their communication with God. To submit your original prayer or poem, please fill out this Submission Form.
Tuesday May 21, 2013
Silent Stories is my monthly blog post giving voice to the persecuted Christians in our world today.
Kidnapped Clerics and Christians Fleeing, Syria
Two archbishops were kidnapped by gunmen on April 22, 2013, in the midst of civil war in Syria. Greek Orthodox Church leader Bishop Boulos Yazigi and Assyrian Orthodox Church leader Bishop Yohanna Ibrahim were ministering in the Aleppo countryside when they were taken at gunpoint.
More than 70,000 people have died in the conflict, churches are being destroyed, and Christians are being killed and tortured. The mass exodus of persecuted Christians is threatening the future of the Syrian Church. I urge you to join believers around the world in prayer for the end of violence in Syria and the release of the two kidnapped bishops.
Read More of This Silent Story:
Monday May 20, 2013
Kelsey's parents divorced when she was a small child. Then her mother moved in with a man who sexually abused Kelsey until he was sent to jail. After coming to know Jesus, Kelsey shared her testimony and saw how it helped others who had survived the same kind of abuse. Through this, Kelsey learned that God always has a reason for his children to hang on.
Read: Kelsey's Reason to Hang On
Submit a Testimony:
