Discipleship: Reading the Scout Handbook is fine, but don't forget to camp!

Seedbed's timing in running my article on discipleship -- as it relates to a recent camping excursion with my stepson -- goes well with our church's discussion theme this month:

It [discipleship] has to be more than a concept taught by a book. It has to be more than a series of meetings. Discipleship must be lived out and lived together. 

There are, of course, many helpful and proven curricula, book studies, and Bible study guides available for new disciples and their mentors. There are countless retreats, conferences, camps, and camp meetings as well. But, nothing is a substitute for walking alongside a fellow Christian in regular, plain-old daily life. 

While in the tent, I jotted down a few elements often missing from discipleship. ...

Read more: http://seedbed.com/feed/a-basic-vision-for-local-discipleship

Proving who you say you are

Subject: Keeping one's word

Target passage: I John 2:1-6

Date: Jan. 31, 2016

When we're asked today to identify ourselves, there's more than one way to respond. Readers of this blog may remember my misgivings of having to show a driver's license to claim my one-year-old child at a mega-church recently! 

A scanner can verify your identity through your fingerprints and your irises to prove that it's you, so long as your fingerprint and "eye print" are registered in the correct database. A credit score tattles on your financial history. We're on the cusps of facial recognition technology, where a camera can tell who you are from a long distance, and pull up a rap sheet on you in a matter of seconds. "No Hiding Place Down Here," indeed.

The Modern Reject's refreshingly organic take on 'prayer requests'

I ran across this now-inactive blog today and thought I would share the link for future reference for those curious about what this house church thing is all about. 

The author explored many of the topics we've addressed as a community in her journey from institutional church to a home-based fellowship that at one time gathered upwards of 60 people.

http://modernreject.com/category/featured/house-church

Here's an eye-opening snippet concerning why her church doesn't practice prayer "requests," per se (not that there's anything wrong with them -- methods vary!):

'Amen' digs below the surface

Subject: "Amen"
Target passage: Various
Date: Jan. 24, 2016

With the proliferation of social networking "share and type amen" memes, "amen" has continued as one of the most overused, misunderstood, and misapplied expressions in the English language.