Global Evangelist. Pastor. Entrepreneur. Mentor.

Ed Stetzer - A LifeWay Research blog on theology, missiology, missional church, church planting, church revlitalization, and innovation.

How to Become a Legalist:

1. Make rules outside the Bible.
2. Push yourself to try and keep your rules.
3. Castigate yourself when you don't keep your rules.
4. Become proud when you do keep your rules.
5. Appoint yourself as judge over other people.
6. Get angry with people who break your rules or have different rules.
7. "Beat" the losers.

In interview with Howard Hendricks, Chuck Swindoll defined the legalism problem as:

...when we get into areas that are not set forth in Scripture, either in precept or even in principle. These may be such things as length of hair, tattoos and other body piercings, skirts or pants for women, makeup or no makeup. Those are not scriptural issues. Sometimes these issues are cultural, and you do have to address them when you are in that particular culture. But I think legalism begins when you do or refrain from doing what I want you to do or not do because it's on my list and it's something that I am uncomfortable with.

Then, Chuck gives his blunt advice:

The problem with legalists is that not enough people have confronted them and told them to get lost. Those are strong words, but I don't mess with legalism anymore. I'm 72 years old; what have I got to lose? Seriously, I used to kowtow to legalists, but they're dangerous. They are grace-killers. They'll drive off every new Christian you bring to church. They are enemies of the faith. Other than that, I don't have any opinion!

So, if I am trying to force my personal list of no-no's on you and make you feel guilty if you don't join me, then I'm out of line and I need to be told that.

Download that interview here.

via www.edstetzer.com

A Repost–15 Things Chris Was Wondering :: Perry Noble | Leadership, Vision & Creativity - Zoecity

via zoecity.com

Awesome piece of poetry from a precious friend: The Broken Mirror

Begin forwarded message:

Date: April 7, 2010 11:38:00 AM PDT
Subject: The Broken Mirror
Reply-To: Cheetah Cub <noreply@blogger.com>
Source: MeThinks
Author: Cheetah Cub <noreply@blogger.com>



The broken mirror stands,
It’s reflection dingy and faded.
The long and crooked crack
Causes the mirror to be traded
For other mirrors not much brighter
But who have not the jagged crack.

For years the broken mirror stood,
Passed over again and again.
It knew only the cruelty and words
It learned from mirrors, so called “friends.”
From other mirrors of greater looks
Who knew nothing of tribulation.

So there it stood, that broken mirror,
Stranded among the trash.
For no one wanted a mirror that could
Not reflect without a gash.
For other mirrors there were in plenty
Who could reflect with most “perfection.”

The broken mirror almost gave in.
It resolved that none would want
A mirror so riddled with imperfection
And a reflection none would flaunt.
But something made it keep on holding
To any hope it had left to hold.

And finally One came,
One Who saw beyond her scar,
Saw Who she could reflect
And Who’s face she could not mar.
He picked her up and took her home
And polished her till she shone.

She was afraid, at first,
To step out that hidden door
Into a world not understanding
Of Who she came from and for.
But as she took one step decending
Into the stairway toward the dark

She turned and faced the One
Who had taken her ugly mark,
And made it something beautiful
To reflect light into the dark.
She turned back to the darkness,
Just ever so slightly enough,

And reflected His great light
Into the darkening world,
And gave hope to other mirrors
At whose lives Satan hurled
Insults and lies of deception,
Just like she had once felt.

But now she reconciled them to Him,
And gave them all the hope
That one day He will come again
And take His broken mirrors home.

Read more…

I love honest people: Frank and Honest book review:10 Million Words

Subject: 10 Million Words



10 Million Words 
Chelsea, Chelsea Bang BangPosted: 06 Apr 2010 11:15 AM PDT
This book brought my face-to-face with a question I had been asking myself for some time: what if I come across a book that, for one reason or another, I just can’t read? What if a book is so repulsive, so horrible, that my conscience just won’t allow me to continue reading it. Can I still say, then, that I’ve read all of the New York Times bestsellers? I decided early on that I would cross the bridge when I came to it and, when I saw Chelsea, Chelsea Bang Bang hit the list of bestsellers, I assumed I would have to face it at last.In the end, though, it was not filth that offended me as much as just sheer stupidity. The first chapter of this book is ugly–not as much graphic as just plain inappropriate, like when you try to tell a joke and it just goes bad. You realize that what you thought was funny, was actually not funny at all. After that opening chapter the book is far more childish and just plain stupid than lascivious as she looks at life and love and daughterhood and dog ownership. Chelsea Handler, whom I had known only from seeing her name on book covers, is clearly desperately immature and willing to do just about anything to gain attention. Her sense of humor, such that it is, is puerile, akin to the kind of nonsense that was so popular on that showJackass. She likes to mock people through pranks, she likes to laugh about farting, she likes to torment and mock and belittle. It’s terribly unsophisticated and, frankly, immediately tiresome. She makes herself so obnoxious that there is very little she could do, I think, to make herself or what she says in any way desirable or lascivious.Of all the books I’ve read this year, and I’ve read plenty, this one is easily the worst. Frankly, I can’t think of a single reason I would ever, under any circumstances, recommend it. I can’t even understand why anyone, anywhere would buy it. It’s not sexual enough to titillate, it’s not clever enough to amuse, it’s not sophisticated enough to cause reflection. It’s an utter waste of time, money, effort and atoms. It is very clearly a cash grab, Handler’s attempt to make a few more bucks before her 15 minutes of fame comes screeching to a halt. And I say that this can’t happen soon enough.If you look at the pictures of Handler on the book cover and compare to, say, images of her being interviewed, you’ll see that the cover photos are so heavily airbrushed that Handler is very nearly unrecognizable. You can see just the barest hint of her through all the Photoshopping. And it strikes me that this offers a parallel to the book itself. Here Handler gives a very one-dimensional and obviously fake version of herself. It’s as fake as her skin in that cover shot. She has constructed a fabricated version of herself that, for one reason or another, seems to appeal to readers. Perhaps her last two books, both of which sold very well, were clever or original or offered something (anything!) to commend them. Not so with Chelsea Chelsea Bang Bang. Books don’t get a whole lot worse than this one. They just plain can’t.Verdict: Read it never, ever, ever.
You are subscribed to email updates from 10 Million Words 
To stop receiving these emails, you may unsubscribe now.Email delivery powered by GoogleGoogle Inc., 20 West Kinzie, Chicago IL USA 60610

YouTube - Sunday's Comin

YouTube - Sunday's Comin