Christianity 9 to 5 Magazine
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Issue 38: Avoiding Cultural Conformity
The Pied Piper of Peoria:
How American Culture Can Lure You from God and Weaken Your Faith
Michael Zigarelli
Whether you
realize it or not, you are constantly being sold a set of ideas by
our secular culture about how to live. About what it means to have
"the good life." About God, relationships, parenting, work, money,
success, sexuality, what clothes to wear, and about everything else.
It's an indoctrination taking place without your knowledge or
consent and it's time for you to break free.
Four Ways Christians Should Not Engage the Culture (and
Two Ways We Should)
Andy Crouch
Condemning,
critiquing, consuming, copying. Each of these approaches to culture
is sometimes the only appropriate response, as award-winning author
Andy Crouch shows. But the problem, he says, occurs when any of
these responses becomes the only way we know how to respond to
culture – when it becomes our unconscious stance toward the world,
our default stance, our “posture” – to the world around us.
Roaring Lambs:
Stop
Complaining About the World and Start Engaging It!
Bob Briner
Looking for
your vocation? Seeking your calling in life? Consider abandoning the
comfort zone of the Christian sub-culture and pursuing a career in
secularized industries like art, entertainment, the media, and
education. In this classic work, the nationally-renown author
fervently challenges Christians to engage and change the world by
taking positions in culture-shaping professions.
Maintaining a Christian Worldview: An Introduction to the
Work of Francis Schaeffer
Todd
Kappelman
Francis
Schaeffer (1912-1984) was one of the most recognized and respected
Christian authors of the twentieth century. As a consummate scholar
with a deep concern for the average Christian, his books are both
profound and highly-accessible. Here's an introduction to some of
his greatest work.
Issue 37: Obstacles to Real Success
Three Temptations of a Christian Leader
Henri Nouwen
Henri Nouwen
(1932-1996) was a Dutch-born Catholic priest whose 40 books have
been widely read by Catholics and Protestants alike. In his later
years, his ministry shifted from teaching ivy-leaguers at Harvard to
pastoring at Daybreak, one of the L’Arche communities for mentally
handicapped people. Soon after that transition, Fr. Nouwen was
invited to give a series of talks about Christian leadership to a
group of clergy, talks that were eventually published under the
title In the Name of Jesus. This article shares the essence
of Nouwen’s ideas from that book.
The Pitfall of Possessions
C.S. Lewis
If you are
already familiar with The Screwtape Letters—CS Lewis’
ingenious dialogue between a senior devil, Screwtape, and his
apprentice, Wormwood—this excerpt about the peril of thinking we
“own” anything is well worth re-reading. And if you’re not familiar with
the book, you have an extraordinary opportunity to gain new insight
into how Satan operates in our lives.
The Puritan Perspective on Money
Leland Ryken
Jesus talked about money and wealth quite a
bit. The Apostle Paul did too, as well as the writers and prophets
from the Old Testament. So what should our perspective about
these issues be? And what about the related issues of profit and
success? This time-honored wisdom from the Puritans may help.
Michael Zigarelli
Three out of four Christian leaders we surveyed say that the
busyness of their lives undermines their relationship with God. Most
also say they eat quickly and they are exhausted at the end of their
day. Here's help for a lifestyle that crowds out God.
What Drives Your Life?
Rick Warren
Without a clear
purpose, the author of The Purpose-Driven Life explains, you
will keep changing directions, jobs, relationships, and even
churches, hoping each change will finally fill the emptiness in your
heart. If this describes you even a little, the timing of this
article may not be a coincidence.
Devotional:
Must I Listen?
Oswald Chambers
"We do not
consciously disobey God, we simply do not heed Him. God has given us
His commands; there they are, but we do not pay any attention to
them, not because of willful disobedience but because we do not love
and respect Him."
Issue 36: Ancient Wisdom for Future Success
Why You're Not Making Spiritual Progress
William Law,
from A
Serious Call to the Devout and
Holy Life (1728)
It may come down to just one thing: “If you look into your own heart
in utter honesty, you must admit that there is one and only one
reason why you are not even now a (fully devoted follower of
Christ): You do not wholly want to be.”
Learning from Brother Lawrence
from The Practice of the Presence
of God (1691)
Brother Lawrence (1614-1691) was a monk who is most remembered for
his persistent, close walk with God, for the peace that he enjoyed
as a result of that walk, and for his teachings that are preserved
in The Practice of the Presence of God. This excerpt from that book
shares some of his wisdom, especially as it relates to doing our
daily work in the presence of God. (Click
here for the full text version of the book ;
Click here for the full text audio version of the book)
Coping with Your Boss
Thomas à Kempis, from The
Imitation of Christ (1418)
"The
only reason why criticism cuts you to the heart is that you are
still ruled by your old nature and take more notice of men than you
should." In the fifteenth century, theologians didn't mince words or
worry about people's self-esteem. They just told it like it is.
Paths to Contentment
Richard Steele (modern English
version by Randall Caldwell), from The Religious Tradesman
(1823)
Steele's teaching on the elusive virtue of contentment still rings
true today: "Men are usually not satisfied with their situation in
life, and yearn for a change. Then, once they've made the change,
they're as far from being happy as they were before." This excerpt
from his 200 year old wisdom may bless you with some timely
perspective on a timeless problem.
The Suicide of Thought
G.K. Chesterton, from
Orthodoxy (1908)
Chesterton's insights are as applicable and instructive today as
they were a century ago. In this excerpt from Orthodoxy, he
masterfully shows that the shift from a Christian worldview to a
relativistic, postmodern worldview ("A man was meant to be doubtful
about himself, but undoubting about the truth; this has been exactly
reversed") leads ultimately to the denial that anything is truly
knowable and, further, that life has any real purpose. This is why
he can make the profound and arresting claim that "There is a
thought that stops thought (and) that is the only thought that ought
to be stopped." Today, as then, because this relativistic dogma has
not been "stopped," many remain alienated from God and despair that
life is meaningless.
The Red Lizard of Lust
C.S. Lewis, from The Great
Divorce (1946)
C.S. Lewis wrote The Great Divorce to demonstrate the differences
between Heaven and Hell. This excerpt metaphorically and poignantly
shows how challenging it can be for some people to let go of lust,
but it then shows how we are strengthened and advanced once we
muster the courage to finally do so.
Issue 35: Dealing with Discouragement and Discord
Overcoming Discouragement: Some Advice for Pastors and Other Leaders
Jonathan Falwell
Pastor Falwell understands well the challenges
inherent in leadership, challenges that discourage other pastors and
even drive them away from their churches. In this chapter from his
book, Innovate Church, he offers four insightful, “non-negotiable
commitments” every pastor—and, for that matter, every Christian
leader—should make to navigate the storms of conflict and strengthen
his or her leadership.
The Litigation Trap
and
The Christian Conciliation Alternative
Stephen Bloom
In our litigious society, it’s become a
cultural norm for people to turn to lawyers and the courts to settle
their conflicts. But when should a Christian litigate? Under what
circumstances should we rely on the judicial system to resolve our
disputes? And what alternatives, if any, are there for those with
legitimate claims? In this pair of chapters from his book
The Believer’s Guide to Legal Issues, Stephen Bloom provides
some clarifying perspective.
Adversity: How God Shapes a Christian Leader
Os Hillman
If you’re
experiencing significant adversity in your life, congratulations!
God has selected you to embark on the journey of a lifetime. He has
chosen you to join the select company of people like Job and Joseph,
Daniel and Paul—people who have undergone adversity to emerge with
stronger character and enlarged leadership ability.
Toolkit: Ten Commandments for Difficult Conversations
Michael Zigarelli
There's a lot of advice out there—some
good, some not so good—for
how to handle that conversation you've been dreading. Here's a handy
checklist from the most reliable Source.
The Hardest Prayer of All: Praying for Our Enemies
G.D. Watson
Is there someone at work who's simply driving you crazy? Maybe
someone challenging you or even undermining you at every turn? This
nineteenth century classic offers some profound insight into how to
pray for our enemies.
Devotional: How to Know God is about to do a Big Thing
Michael Zigarelli
I knew God was about to do something big when an attractive woman on
the plane struck up a conversation with me that culminated, one hour
later, in a roguish proposition from her.
Special Issue
Issue 34: The Christianity 9 to 5 Bible Study
The Christianity 9 to 5
Bible Study
is designed specifically for your busy work life. Previously
published by Moody Press, we've now reformatted this study into
ten 45 minute sessions. Perfect for Sunday school, before-work or lunchtime small
group discussion, it also includes a leader's guide to help you
disciple people into a deeper reflection of what it means to do
their jobs as Jesus would.
As part of our
ministry to you at Christianity9to5.org, we are now pleased to offer
The
Christianity 9 to 5 Bible Study free of
charge in a downloadable (pdf) format. All we ask is that you pray for
us as part of your study and that you drop us an
email once you've
completed the study, to let us know what God is doing in your work
life. To download the
complete, ten session study,
click here.
Jim Petersen and Mike Shamy
It is possible to
discredit the gospel by our inadequacies, but this doesn’t happen as
often as we may think. And beyond that, often the gospel is advanced
because of our inadequacy.
Steve Rundle and Tom Steffen
You too can
launch a “Great Commission Company” -- a successful business that
also introduces people to God in the least developed areas of the
world. Based on a five year study of such companies, here’s a
step-by-step guide to getting started.
A.W. Tozer
Which parts of
your job please God the most? Which parts are more sacred, and which
are more secular? Don’t be surprised if your answers change after
you read this masterpiece from Tozer.
Issue 33: Teaching with Excellence
Seven Reasons Speakers Flop
Mark Sanborn
According to
Sanborn, a professional speaker, an essential
way to improve our speaking ability is to
anticipate and eliminate those behaviors that undermine our message
and our credibility. Here are seven of those behaviors.
Ten Disciplines for Transformational Teaching
Michael Zigarelli
For most people,
great teaching doesn’t just happen. Whether we’re in the classroom,
in the pulpit, on stage, on the radio, or anywhere else, to teach
people with excellence—and in a way that can change hearts and
minds—requires more than some good ideas and lots of preparation. It
requires that we engage in the kind of lifestyle and professional
habits from which outstanding teaching naturally flows.
Twelve Timeless Teaching Tips
Robert Harris
Christian educator Robert Harris
presents a terrific, back-to-basics collection of teaching
practices, generously seasoned with some insights you may have never
considered.
Editorial:
Teach the Whole Truth
Michael Zigarelli
Pastors and
Christian educators can suffer from two opposite but related
errors in their teaching. Pastors usually impart Biblical
knowledge while ignoring scientific revelation; Christian
teachers usually impart scientific knowledge while ignoring
Biblical revelation. We would all benefit if these leaders
broadened their epistemology—their understanding of what counts
as "knowledge"—and taught more often from the whole truth of
theology plus science.
Related articles from the archives:
Issue 32: Christian Leadership
Putting People First
John Beckett
According to
John Beckett, one of the great ambassadors of the faith in the
business world, “It is because of the Father’s great love for
each person that every follower of Christ is called to put
people first.” Despite the financial tradeoffs that may entail
in management, “from God’s perspective there is no greater
priority on this earth than people.” What does that mean on
Monday morning? This excerpt from John’s new book, Mastering
Monday, explores some of the practical implications.
A Curriculum for Developing Christian Leaders
Michael Zigarelli
Are you
called to train up people to become Christian leaders? There are
a lot of models for how to do that. This road-tested approach,
built on the ideas of Dallas Willard, can encourage not just
inspiration, but genuine transformation of the person into a
more faithful, more effective leader.
Leading from
a Christian Worldview
Nancy Pearcey
“The central
problem of our age is not liberalism or modernism,” writes Francis
Schaeffer—or even hot-button social issues like evolution, abortion,
radical feminism, or homosexual rights. The primary threat to the
church is the “tendency to do the Lord’s work in the power of the
flesh rather than the Spirit.” This paradigm-changing article, excerpted
from Pearcey's book, Total Truth, presents an
essential alternative for every ministry leader.
Essential Lessons from Peter Drucker (pdf file)
John Pearson
Of all the
lessons Peter Drucker taught us, what are the most essential?
And how can we continue to learn from this remarkable man?
Consultant John Pearson, former President of the Christian
Management Association, offers some insight in his practical new
book, Mastering the Management Buckets.
Toolkit: Managing a Micromanager
Michael Zigarelli
If the title
of this article caught your eye, you’ve probably known a
micromanager or two. Maybe you see the profile daily, in all of
its domineering, insulting, oppressive, control-freakish glory.
Most of the standard approaches to persuasion will not get this
person to back off. But here’s an idea that just might work.
Related articles from the archives:
Issue 31: Personal Change
A Pattern for Spiritual Change
Dallas Willard
Like all of Dallas Willard's work, this is an article to be
studied, not just read. Willard explains the general pattern for
how we can change and applies it to spiritual transformation,
giving us a much-needed road map for how to become more like
Jesus.
Pride: The Great Sin
CS Lewis
A "spiritual cancer," "the complete anti-God state of mind," and
"the chief cause of misery in every nation and in every family
since the world began." These are just of few of the descriptors
that C.S. Lewis uses to describe our pride. Here is his
penetrating chapter on "The Great Sin" from his classic, Mere
Christianity.
Gratitude: Pathway to Permanent Change
Michael Zigarelli
"Gratitude is not only the greatest of virtues, it is also the
parent of all the others." So said the ancient philosopher
Cicero. Two millennia later, our study of thousands of
Christians confirms that gratitude indeed spawns myriad elusive
virtues, like joy, inner peace, patience, forgiveness, and
self-control.
You Need a Leadership Coach
Andy Stanley
In the world of athletics, nobody performs his way out of
needing a coach. In the world of leadership, though, we operate
under the misguided assumption that because we are leaders, we
don't need to be led.
Editorial:
Why Discipleship Fails
Michael Zigarelli
Why is it that even when we know what's right, we often do
what's wrong? A lot of reasons, for sure, but the most basic is
this: We never really intended to do what's right, at least not
consistently. Indeed, that's a personal failure, but it's also
a failure of how we disciple people.
Issue 30: Persuasive Communication
Influence through Storytelling
Michael Zigarelli
Jesus used
stories all the time, but he used them for far more than
inspiration or entertainment. He introduced, through his
parables, a new way to understand and relate to God and to the
people around us. In fact, storytelling was arguably Jesus’
primary approach to persuasion. This article explores what makes
that approach so powerful and offers several practical tips for
improving our own storytelling.
Choosing the Right Story for Your Leadership Challenge
Steve Denning
Storytelling is an art, but there's also a science to knowing
when to use what type of story. In this excerpt from his book,
The Leader's Guide to Storytelling, best- selling author Steve
Denning advises leaders how to choose different stories for
different managerial situations.
The Best (and Worst) Practices for Sharing Your Faith
Tim Downs
With wit and wisdom, this article offers five powerful
approaches to becoming more persuasive with non- Christians:
Speak the Unbeliever's Language, Show an Understanding of the
Unbeliever's World, Be Intelligent and Credible, Use Tools That
Raise Good Questions, and Have a Reasonable Persuasive Goal.
I Was Suspicious of Christians Until I Met Arthur
James O'Donnell
1984. The hinge of my life. I found I believed in nothing. I
trusted no one. And no one I knew was worth trusting. That is,
until I met Arthur.
Ten Tips for Delivering Criticism with Care
Michael Zigarelli
By most accounts,
delivering negative feedback remains one of the greatest
workplace challenges, even for senior managers. And when a
Christian does this poorly, there's even more at stake since he
or she is quickly considered a hypocrite by the person receiving
the feedback. Here are ten Biblically-consistent tips to
deliver criticism with care.
Issue 29: Drifting
from God
Distracted from God: A Five Year Worldwide Study
Michael Zigarelli
Among the primary
obstacles to living well is today’s frenetic pace of
life. Busyness, hurry, overload, burnout—it’s known
by many names, but there are two common outcomes: this lifestyle distracts us from God and
undermines the abundant, joyful life God desires
for us.
That's not just speculation; it's the conclusion from this study
of 20,000 Christians in 139 countries.
How the Gospel of Evolution Steals Our Faith
Charles Colson and Nancy Pearcey
If Darwin's theory is right, then
the Bible is wrong. Notwithstanding, his ideas are usually presented as
facts rather than theory -- irrefutable facts that
"everyone" knows to be true. In this article, Chuck Colson and Nancy Pearcey tell an
eye-opening story about how this unproven but dogmatic gospel of evolution
steals our faith by subtly changing our thinking about God.
Conquering Lust on the Job
Jeff Wright and Mick Bates
You understand
the problem, but you might not understand its many causes and
consequences – or what to do about it. Here’s substantive help for
one of our greatest battles.
A Better Way to Think About Prayer
David Steindl-Rast
For some of
us, saying prayers wholeheartedly may be the crowning achievement
after we have learned to make every other activity prayer. If your
prayer life is not what it should be, maybe it's time to try
something else.
Issue 28: Pursuing
Your Purpose
Devotional: Doing Your Job as Jesus Would Do It
Dallas Willard
Willard may be
to the 21st century what CS Lewis was to the 20th. He says more
in this brief devotional piece than most writers say in an
entire book.
Rediscovering Joy in Your Work (pdf file)
Nancy Pearcey
No Christian, says Nancy Pearcey,
can be truly happy at work when torn between a secular and a
supernatural perspective on that work. In this excerpt from her
profound book, Total Truth, Pearcey encourages Christians
to discover the joy of finally thinking rightly about their
work -- the joy of thinking about it from a biblical worldview.
The Mission of the Christian University (pdf file)
Michael Zigarelli
As secular
forces gain ground throughout the culture, what should Christian
universities be doing in response? How can they reclaim their
role as agents of redemption and transformation in society? This
article offers substantive advice for how Christian
schools can train-up students to think christianly and to engage
the culture as
influential ambassadors of the faith.
Should You Leave Your Job for Full-Time Ministry?
Tom R. Harper
If you're
sensing that God may be calling you into full-time ministry, read
this first. Based
on his study of 344 “crossover leaders” — church leaders who once
worked in the secular marketplace but then crossed over to
full-time ministry work — Tom Harper offers some clarifying
perspective.
What Drives Your Life?
Rick Warren
Without a
clear purpose, says the author of The Purpose-Driven Life, you will keep changing directions, jobs,
relationships, and even churches, hoping each change
will finally fill the emptiness in your heart.
If this describes you even a little, the timing of this article
may not be a coincidence.
Issue 27:
Double Issue
Designing Your Church for Maximum Impact
Churches that Develop the Christian Mind
J.P. Moreland
The church
– not the university, the public schools, or the media – has the
primary responsibility to teach truth, train the mind, and
properly orient our thinking. But you would never know that by
examining the structure, practices or goals of our local
churches. In this chapter from his path-breaking book, Love
Your God with All of Your Mind, philosopher and theologian
J.P. Moreland calls local churches back to this vital function
of developing the Christian mind and offers several practical
suggestions for how any church can do that.
Building a Simple Church
(pdf file)
Thom Rainer and Eric Geiger
Based on an
in-depth study of four hundred American churches, the authors
now share their breakthrough conclusion: "simple" churches --
focused, well-aligned churches with complete clarity of purpose
-- are more vibrant, more effective churches. Here's
chapter 1 from their award-winning book, Simple Church.
Marketing for Ministries: How to Win the Battle for Hearts and
Minds (pdf file)
George Babbes and Michael Zigarelli
Why should
a ministry care about marketing?
Because people do things for their reasons, not yours. And
because we live in a world of unlimited choices. To help you
win the battle for people’s hearts and minds, this chapter from
The Minister’s MBA offers a primer on ethical, effective
marketing.
The Gap Between Pastor Perceptions and Church Member Realities
George Barna
Based on
interviews with a representative national sample of 627
Protestant pastors, this Barna study discovered that pastors
believe the vast majority of their congregants deem their faith
in God to be the highest priority in their life. But when the
researchers asked the congregants to identify their top
priority, a very different picture emerged.
Why Men Hate Church (and what church leaders can do
to change that)
David Murrow
Here’s an
extended excerpt from the groundbreaking book,
Why Men Hate Going to Church. With poignant and humorous
insights, television writer and producer David Murrow explains
the problem and offers hope and encouragement. In this article,
he doesn’t call men back to church; he calls the church back to
men.
The Art of Leading a Small Group
(pdf file)
Michael Zigarelli
There’s been
a lot written on how to lead a small group and how not to lead
one. Here’s a compilation of some of the best ideas out
there — twenty tips that will assist you in leading your group to
a life-changing experience.
Related articles from the archives:
Issue 26: Simplifying Your Life
Profession or Obsession?
Bill Hybels
In this article,
internationally-acclaimed author Bill Hybels, founding pastor of
Willow Creek Community Church, describes the problem of
workaholism, its effect on the worker and his or her family, its
root cause, and its cure.
Escape the Bondage of Busyness
Michael Zigarelli
We live in a
culture that encourages us to work too much, to spend too much,
to do too much, and to strive for “the good life" through
accumulation and activity. The bitter irony, of course, is that
the pursuit of that sort of good life makes us miserable.
Excerpted from the author's book,
Freedom
from Busyness, here's some Biblically-based perspective on
how to escape, once and for all.
Simplify Your Prayer Life
Donald
Whitney
From
his refreshingly practical book,
Simplify Your Spiritual Life, Professor Whitney counsels us
how to strengthen our prayer life through simplifying it.
Devotional:
Courage, Character and Civility
Randy Kilgore
It was a
moment it took twenty years of sacrifice to
manufacture, and even then it would be another twenty-seven
years before the real celebration could begin. Still,
Wilberforce's moment was one for the ages.
Issue 25:
Training People to Think Christianly
The Challenge for Christian Higher Education
Michael Duduit
Today's Christian colleges and universities
must provide an intellectual bulwark against the secularizing
cultural trends that have swept through American higher
education. According to Duduit, if any institution is going to train America's next
generation of leaders that "truth" has meaning, it will be our
Christian universities. How can we insure that our church-supported
colleges and universities stand firm in these essential tasks?
Here are five ways.
The Professor's Task in the Christian University
David Gushee
Whether you're in Christian
higher education or secondary education, this is a must-read
piece from one of today's leading thinkers. Gushee, a Christian
ethicist and regular contributor to Christianity Today,
lays out an incisive framework for how to re-conceptualize and
restructure the work of Christian educators.
The Integration of Faith and Learning
Robert Harris
Harris,
a long-time Christian
educator, says that if
students do not learn to integrate faith and learning during
their undergraduate years, then it may not occur. In graduate
school and professional life, students may adopt the current
paradigms of the field without realizing that those paradigms
include a set of metaphysical assumptions, often naturalistic
and humanistic, that conflict with Christian truth.
Worldview @ Work
Michael Zigarelli
How people make decisions, what
they find persuasive, and their whole philosophy of right and wrong
is a function of their “worldview” –- their core assumptions about
God, about the world, and about the relationship between the two. In
this article, the author demystifies the concept of worldview,
identifies the predominant worldviews we see in the workplace, and
shows how to strategically use this knowledge for God's purposes.
For articles from Issues
1-24, please visit our
articles library
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