Levels Of Beliefs
There are many things that good conservative people disagree on. Are they all equally important or are there some things that are less important than others? The answer to this question will determine the entire direction of our lives and our ministries. Conviction - There are two levels of conviction. 1) Essential conviction - Something that is so clearly revealed in Scripture that I would be willing to die for it. The Fundamental doctrines and clear commands of Scripture. (Daniel 1:8, Daniel 3:15-18) 2) Personal conviction - Something that the Holy Spirit has convicted me of personally. May be based directly on Scripture, on principles of Scripture, or on the subjective leading of the Holy Spirit. Something that is not clearly revealed in Scripture. (Acts 16:6, John 16:13) Conviction: th... Read more
The Virtue Of Balance
By Dr. Tim Jordan Balance is defined as "stability produced by even distribution of weight on each side of the vertical axis," "equipoise between contrasting, opposing, or interacting elements," or "an aesthetically pleasing integration of elements," according to Webster's Ninth New Collegiate Dictionary. However, a definition that will probably make more sense to Christians is found in Solomon's instruction to his son in Proverbs 4:23-27: "Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life. Put away from thee a froward mouth, and perverse lips put far from thee. Let thine eyes look right on, and let thine eyelids look straight before thee. Ponder the path of thy feet, and let all thy ways be established. Turn not to the right hand nor to the left: remove thy foot from... Read more
Worship… The Real Thing
A closer look at our worship. By Jason Harris Speaking with various leaders about music and the worship service, people kept saying "something's missing." Maybe we can't put our finger on it, but we know that what we have isn't everything we're supposed to have—something's missing. We know the answer isn't to go the way of Hillsong and the Praise & Worship Movement, but we also know that we don't have it... whatever "it" is, we don't have it. On one side you have church becoming one big rock concert—pounding music, dancing, the lot. That's not real worship. On the other side you have a worship service that is dry, boring, and void of excitement. That's not real worship either. If it's not going to be real, the other "not real" is more fun! Of course that's not the answer. If conservati... Read more
