God made man small and the universe big to say something about Himself…The disproportion between us and the universe is a parable about the disproportion between us and God. And it is an understatement. But the point is not to nullify us but to glorify Him.
It is impossible to forgive someone if you feel superior to him or her.
It’s great to be reminded of how much is packed into two verses you might otherwise glaze over. How often do we do any of these?
“Now I would remind you, brothers, of the gospel I preached to you, which you received, in which you stand, and by which you are being saved, if you hold fast to the word I preached to you—unless you believed in vain.”—1 Corinthians 15:1-2
Thanks to Justin Taylor for posting this.
The PEW Forum released a study last week looking at what Americans know about religion, their own and others. Aside from the prominently-circulated headline that apparently atheists and agnostics know more about religion than those who call themselves religious, there are some revealing stats from deeper in the report.
For example, only 43% of mainline Protestants and 71% of Evangelicals can name the four Gospels. 
Only 28% of Evangelicals know that Protestant Christians believe in salvation by faith alone. Half of that number, 14%, of Mainline Christians know that. More than 80% of both groups know instead that Mother Theresa was Catholic. 
Historically, Evangelicals have been defined by a high view of Scripture and the centrality of the Gospel, Jesus’ death on a cross for our sins and resurrection to conquer satan, sin, and death. Yet, this study shows that large portions of Evangelicals can’t even tell someone what the four Gospels are (Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John) or that we are saved by faith alone in Christ alone. The truth is, many Evangelicals and most mainline Christians need the Gospel just as bad as non-believers. It simply cannot be assumed that just because someone is in your church or calls themselves a Christian that they are. Here are two practical ways we try to do communications in a way that points to Jesus - and thereby point to the authority of the Bible and God’s gift of salvation - here at Mars Hill Church.
Click the title to see the full article.
4. The growing cultural remoteness of the gospel. The basic concepts of the gospel — sin, guilt and accountability before God, the sacrifice of the cross, human nature, afterlife — are becoming culturally strange in the west for the first time in 1500 years. As Lesslie Newbigin has written, it is time now to ‘think like a missionary’—to formulate ways of communicating the gospel that both confront and engage our increasingly non-Christian western culture.
How do we make the gospel culturally accessible without compromising it? How can we communicate it and live it in a way that is comprehensible to people who lack the basic ‘mental furniture’ to even understand the essential truths of the Bible?
Really proud of the team I work with at Mars Hill Church. Check out the newest video we did for Darrin Patrick’s new book.
Watch this interview with Francis Chan, Mark Driscoll, and Josh Harris as they talk about Francis’ recent decision to leave his church. It’s an amazing example of 3 men asking each other hard questions; giving humble, honest answers; and challenging each other to love Jesus, the church, and others more.
Do your community groups, Bible studies, friendships, or heck, marriages have this directness, humility, and openness?
(via The Gospel Coalition)
