All Posts (Page 32)

All Posts (Page 32)

Reading Scripture Rightly

When reading a section of Scripture, we will find that a passage almost always comes across weighted on one side of an issue or another. I mean this: a passage is written intended to drive a certain point home, aimed at a particular audience, for a specific reason by an author who knew what was needed. He drives his nail to the heart. That passage should stare at us, disturb us and call us to action and faith. We should…

Reflections on the Ministry Trip to Ethiopia & Uganda, Fall of 2012

On September 4, 2012, CCW staff member Selamab Assefa and I left America for a few weeks of ministry in Africa. This was my third trip to Ethiopia with Selamab, and our first trip to Uganda. What follows is a brief report, arranged by topics. Old Friends Our first weekend in Ethiopia involved ministry to church leaders in a town called Dangla, about a 10 hour drive northwest of Addis Ababa (the capital city of Ethiopia). We had served in…

The Garage Method

A former professor of mine, now a successful author of Christian fiction, used to dismiss his anxieties by repeating this mantra: “Oh well. It doesn’t eternally matter.” For him six words conquered all ills. He slew his worries with a phrase, with a mere wag of his tongue. I’m not sure he was right about things not eternally mattering, but his blood pressure remained low and in many ways, he turned his worries into trust. It is sort of an…

Ethiopian Trip, May 2011

During May, 2011, Selamab Assefa and I took off for CCW’s second ministry trip to Ethiopia (click here for more about Steve’s and Selamab’s trip last fall). We were there for 2 ½ weeks, travelling and speaking at churches.   May 13-16 After 20+ hours of travel, we walked out into Ethiopia’s capitol city, Addis Ababa—just in time to sleep a few hours and make a 3 ½ hour drive across dusty roads and beautiful African landscape to the town…

Hearing Aids for Believers

Let’s face it-sometimes it is hard to get much out of the sermon or teaching you receive in your church. While some of the blame often lies at the feet of the presenter, it is still the obligation of the listener to scratch for something nourishing for the soul. Here are some hearing aids: 1. Sleep more. Not during the meeting, of course, but the night before. This takes some planning. It is especially difficult with youth, who use Saturday…

How You Might Use The Soils Booklet

It takes the Spirit of God to open up the heart of any man or woman to the good news of life in Christ. In our world many believe that they have some relationship with Christ. Over 80% of Americans, for instance, say that they are Christians, very broadly defined [Barna]. The statistics are alarming since we know that almost all who profess faith in Christ really do not actually understand the gospel or give evidence that they know Him.…

Ministry Trip to Ethiopia, Fall 2011

Tuesday-Wednesday, September 20-21, 2011 Selamab Assefa and I were eager to head back together to Ethiopia (We took our first trip together last year.). We flew from Kansas City to Washington, D.C, then to Frankfort, Germany, and then on to Addis Ababa, the capital city. We arrived at night and were happy to see our luggage riding down the conveyor belt. Selamab’s brother and a friend greeted us warmly once we passed through all of the security checks. The scene…

Natural Disaster and Pastoral Comfort

We must acknowledge that the most troubling problem emerging from any large scale natural disaster is not that people die. That is a real human and emotional issue, but not the most significant one. Hurricanes, tsunamis, earthquakes, fires, tornados or floods do not change the statistics on the number of the human race experiencing death by even one digit. A typhoon in Bangladesh swept away between 300,000 and 500,000 lives in 1970,[1] and the worldwide influenza pandemic of 1918 exterminated…

The Last Forty-five Minutes

He was lying down, gasping. It was his own bed and it was his time. Forty-five minutes from this moment he would die. Beside him sat his wife in the overstuffed leather chair that had been pulled close for the final event. She had been there all night. She sat on the edge as she patted his hand and tried to soothe him—disheveled, wide-eyed with simmering panic, twitching, pleading. It had been the hardest night of her life. The hospice…

The Man of Faith, George Muller (audio Links)

Jim and Bill Elliff, John Piper and Jim Cymbala on the man of Faith, George Muller. In this well-produced audio presentation, you will hear many of the stories of Muller and his orphanage, his disciplines and his experiences with trusting God, as well as how Muller impacted those involved on the audio itself. This was produced by Revive Our Hearts, the radio ministry of Nancy Lee DeMoss. We encourage you to listen in order to learn more about trusting God.…

The Muller Center Goes to Israel

CCW began “The Muller Center for Biblical Studies” in the fall of 2010 with its first six students. The goal was to read the Bible seriously and let the Spirit work to teach and train in Bible literacy. The students and tutors (Jim Elliff and Steve Burchett) read the first five books of the Bible every two weeks and Matthew every week (132 chapters/week). This meant approximately 20 hours a week for reading, marking, and discovery of biblical insights. The…

The Threefold Newness of Marriage

Weddings are celebrations of love, of commitment, and of hope for the future. But they are also a time to recognize and celebrate newness, even the newness of creation. When you attend a wedding you are witnessing three brand new things: First, you are witnessing the establishment of an entirely new family. Much is often said at weddings about parents not losing a son, but gaining a daughter, or not losing a daughter, but gaining a son. These are true…