Girolamo Savonarola 1452–1498
The Florentine Forerunner Surrounding the base of the Luther monument in Worms, Germany, sit the four forerunners of the Protestant Reformation — Jan Hus, John Wycliffe, Peter Waldo, and Girolamo Savonarola. They could not...
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Jan Hus c. 1369–1415
The Goosefather On December 17, 1999, the pope issued the ceremonial equivalent of a modern apology: “Our bad.” John Paul II addressed a crowd in the Czech Republic, expressing “deep regret for the cruel...
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The First Tremor
Peter Waldo – Died by 1218 More than three hundred years before Martin Luther was born, an unlikely reformer suddenly appeared in the city of Lyon in southeast France. His protests against doctrines and...
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The Morning Star of the Reformation
John Wycliffe c. 1330–1384 John Wycliffe has been called “The Morning Star of the Reformation.” The morning star is not actually a star, but the planet Venus, which appears before the sun rises and...
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Sermon: The Fire of Evangelism
Sermon Outline: INTRODUCTION: God has two ways of destroying His enemies. One is the old school method—the fire coming down out of the sky method. This is the method that leaves a smoking crater....
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Developing Spiritual Habits
A good leader is one who can also be led. A great leader is one led by the Holy Spirit. This past week I went on a spiritual journey. I was blessed to have a...
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Leadership principles from Proverbs
I heard a well-known pastor describe the church as the most leadership-intensive organization in the world. Church leaders do not have the authority of military leaders or the financial incentives of the corporate world;...
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7 Keys to Developing Healthy, Lasting Small Groups
We all want to see our small groups grow and thrive. But when we don’t have a strategy for that growth and transformative potential in every group, they will fade into being just another...
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“Principles of Effective Christian Leadership”
Colossians 1:24-29 Rev. Bruce Goettsche . . . May 3, 1998 I was eager to read the book Iaccoca by Lee Iacocca, the former Chairman of the Chrysler Corporation. I was fascinated by the way this...
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Build a Successful Small-Group Ministry
Editor’s Note: The following is a report on the practical applications of Nelson Searcy and Kerrick Thomas‘s new book, Activate: An Entirely New Approach to Small Groups, (Regal Books, 2008). Are your frustrated with the way your...
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What is a Healthy Small Group?
We all want healthy small groups. But without a central focus on God and growing in our faith, we are simply a gathering of people who meet for coffee when it’s convenient. Coffee is...
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Top 10 Bible Verses for Small Groups
Part of the reason I feel called to small group ministry, and why I’ve made it my life mission to build healthy small group communities where I know life change happens, is because I’ve...
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What is the Gospel?
Introduction In a day of depressing headlines and uncertainty all around us, good news is very welcome. What better news could there be than as the old hymn says: “The vilest offender who truly...
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The rise of the fragile Christian: How ease is becoming a way of life
When life is hard, it’s hard. Pain is not a fiction. Stressors can confuse and discourage us. Sometimes we bend, buckle, and even break under the weight of our responsibilities. Consequently, we do not...
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Why you should be facing your fear of evangelism
Three reasons to share the gospel. Sometimes, life can be really scary. Whether it’s a strange noise at night, an upcoming exam or a story on the news, there are many things that regularly...
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