Insights Magazine: September

September 2010

“Ladies and gentlemen,

this is a Bible!”

Back to the Basics 3 WWJT? 6

in this issue 3 Back to the Basics Charles R. Swindoll pressure points

6 WWJT? Steve Johnson lifetrac

9 Dangling Limbs Robyn Roste moment of insight

12 Erosion Charles R. Swindoll lifelines

13 The Church Awakening Interview with Charles R. Swindoll strong family

14 The Hunter Family . . . Firmly Planted Joy McKee laughing matters

“...worry is like a

rocking chair.

It gives you something

to do, but it doesn’t

take you anywhere.”

16 Three Tricks my Dog Taught Me Phil Callaway 19 Back to the Bible Ben Lowell

Copyright © 2010 Insight for Living Canada. All rights reserved. No portion of this monthly publication may be reproduced in any form without prior written permission from the publisher. Insights is published by IFLC, the Bible teaching ministry of Charles R. Swindoll. IFLC is an autonomous ministry and certified member of the Canadian Council of Christian Charities. Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture passages are taken from the NASB. Printed in Canada. Unless otherwise noted, photography by IFLC staff. football © istock.com/Kameleon007

Basics

by Charles R. Swindoll

3

4

Back to the Basics continued from p. 3

they know their kids’ names . . . and he introduces them to a football! That’s like saying, “Maestro, this is a baton.” Or, “Librarian, this is a book.” Or, “Marine, this is a rifle.” Talk about the obvious!

Why in the world would a seasoned coach talk to professional athletes like that? Apparently, it worked, for coaches don’t lead their teams to three consecutive world championships all the time.

But—how? Lombardi operated on a simple philosophy. He believed that excellence could be best achieved by perfecting the basics of the sport. Razzle-dazzle, crowd-pleasing, risk-taking plays would fill a stadium (for a while) and even win some games (occasionally), but in the final analysis, the consistent winners would be the teams that played smart, heads-up, hard-nosed football. His strategy? Know your position. Learn how to do it right. Then do it with all your might!

That simple plan put Green Bay, Wisconsin, on the map. Before Lombardi’s advent, it was a frozen whistle stop between Oshkosh and Iceland.

What works in the game of football works in the Church as well. But in the ranks of Christendom, it’s easy to get a lit-

team© istock.com/Kameleon007

T

he late football strategist Vince Lombardi was a fanatic about fundamentals. Those who played under his leadership often spoke of his intensity, his drive, his endless enthusiasm for the guts of the game. Time and again he would come back to the basic techniques of blocking and tackling. On one occasion his team, the Green Bay Packers, lost to an inferior squad. It was bad enough to lose . . . but to lose to that team was absolutely inexcusable. Coach Lombardi called a practice the very next morning. The men sat silently, looking more like whipped puppies than a team of champions. They had no idea what to expect from the man they feared the most.

Gritting his teeth and staring holes through one athlete after another, Lombardi began: “OK, we go back to the basics this morning. . . .”

Holding a football high enough for all to see, he continued to yell: “Gentlemen, this is a football!”

How basic can you get? He’s got guys sitting there who have been playing on gridirons for 15 to 20 years . . . who know offensive and defensive plays better than

tle confused. Change that: a lot confused.

When you say “church” today, it’s like ordering a malt . . . you’ve got 31 flavours to choose from. You can select wheeler-dealers, snake handlers, prima donnas, positive thinkers, or self-realizers. Rock bands with coloured lights, hooded “priests” with bloody knives, shaved heads with pretty flowers, and flashy showmen with healing lines are also available. If that doesn’t satisfy, search for your favourite ism and it’s sure to turn up: humanism, liberalism, extreme Calvinism, political activism, anti-communism, supernatural spiritism, or fighting fundamentalism.

But wait! What are the absolute basics of the Church? What is the foundational task of a biblically oriented local assembly? Filtering out everything that isn’t essential, what’s left?

Let’s listen to the Coach. God tells us we have four major priorities if we’re going to call ourselves a church: Teaching . . . fellowship . . . breaking of bread . . . prayer. (Acts 2:42) To these four we are to “continually devote ourselves.” Solid, balanced, “winning” churches keep at the task of perfecting those basics. These form the what aspect of the Church.

The how is equally important. Again, the Coach addresses the team. He de-

clares that the Church that gets the job done is engaged in: Equipping of the saints for the work of service, to the building up of the body of Christ. (Ephesians 4:12) “Hey, that’s easy,” you say. “How simple can you get?” you ask. Are you ready for a shocker? The toughest job you can imagine is maintaining these basic assignments. Most people have no idea how easy it is to leave the essentials and get involved in other activities.

Believe me; there is a steady stream of requests from good, wholesome, helpful sources to use the pulpit as a platform for their cause. I repeat—good and wholesome things but not essential . . . not directly related to our basic purpose: the interpretation, the exposition, the application of Holy Scripture with relevance, enthusiasm, clarity, and conviction. First and foremost, that is what a pulpit ministry is all about.

But churches like that are so rare across our land; it makes you want to stand up and say: “Ladies and gentlemen, this is a Bible!”

Photograph of Chuck Swindoll © 2010 by David Edmonson

Find LifeTrac on Facebook today!

We’ve made it easier than ever to read articles, leave comments, and share links with friends.

5

“…we have the mind of Christ”

W

WJD–What Would Jesus Do? is a popular motto for many Christians who strive to live by Jesus’ example in daily life. While a good guide for us, I would suggest something even more basic than that: WWJT–What Would Jesus Think?

The fundamental thing separating Christians from everyone else in the world is first and foremost how we think and only second, what we do.

When we became Christians, we were given the Holy Spirit and with Him the mind of Christ. There is nothing more basic to the Christian life than this. Since the mind is where we perceive, reason, think, and understand, everything flows from this. When we have the mind of Christ we have His views, His feelings, His temperament, and His Spirit influences us.

Ray Stedman puts it this way, “We have the very way of thinking about life that Jesus himself had, with that keen ability to observe what was going on around Him, that ability to evaluate the

6

(1 Corinthians 2:16)

changing standards of men and to come right through to the very heart of the thing. That is the mind of Christ, the ability to know what was in man. He needed no one to tell Him because he understood men. That is the mind of Christ. The mark of it, of course, is that we will behave as Jesus did. In the midst of this present world we will be compassionate when others are severe; we will be severe when others are tolerant; we will be kind to the ugly, the poor, the obscure, the people of no ability or power...That is the mind of Christ.” 1 But, although we have been given the mind of Christ, we still have the capability of not thinking according to His mind. We can set our minds on earthly rather than heavenly things (Colossians 3:1-3). So how do we manage our minds so that they conform to the mind of Christ?

In answering that question we need to remind ourselves that Scripture is the expression of the mind of God. We understand His mind by hearing, reading, studying, and meditating on Scripture.

7

“Significant or lasting change in beliefs or behaviour depends on a change of mind first.”

This is by far one of the most important life principles we can ever learn. Why? Because God’s Word is His thoughts written on paper for our study and consideration.

His Word is how He thinks about every situation and subject. Many Christians do not tap into the wisdom of the mind of Christ because they do not know their Bibles. Then they make decisions based on feelings, worldly wisdom, or ideas from people claiming to speak for God. To think according to the mind of Christ requires that we monitor four things: 1. What we allow in – What do you intentionally allow in your mind? What do you look at? Read? Listen to? Experience?

We need to act like a gatekeeper or bouncer and guard our minds!

2. What we think about – Sometimes we go through unavoidable experiences, or we see and hear things inadvertently.

How do we perceive, interpret, filter, and process that stuff ? The answer is it must be filtered through the mind of Christ–the truth of God’s Word. Things not conforming to Scripture should be reframed, revised, or reversed.

3. What thoughts we change – We all have things in our minds that do not conform to the mind of Christ. They are not true, honourable, right, pure, lovely, or excellent. For example, we may experience a significant loss in our life and believe 8

Stedman, Ray C. The Mind of Christ, Studies in First Corinthians. Discovery Publishing, 1978.

1

the fact that it happened means God is not with us or does not love us. This idea does not conform to Scripture so the thinking need to be reversed by learning that the Lord said, “I will never desert you nor will I ever forsake you” (Hebrews 13:5c), and changing our mind to believe it. Unless we grasp this we will not make any significant or lasting change or progress in our Christian life. Significant or lasting change in beliefs or behaviour depends on a change of mind first.

4. What we express – Our mind regulates the words and actions we express.

We think, decide, and then do. Yet, they may be contrary to Scripture. In fact they can even act as a barometer to indicate un-Christlike thoughts. When we know our words and actions are un-Christlike, our minds must be changed and renewed so that we can do God’s will (Romans 12:2).

WWJT? Let’s look in the Word and aspire to think like Jesus.

May the mind of Christ my Saviour Live in me from day to day,

By His love and power controlling All I do and say. ~ Kate Wilkinson Steve Johnson is the communications director at IFLC.

Dangling

by Robyn Roste on

insightforliving.ca/lifetrac this month: Served by Celia Kinney

“Your body has many parts—limbs, organs, cells—but no matter how many parts you can name, you’re still one body. It’s exactly the same with Christ.” (1 Corinthians 12:12 MSG)

I

always took the Body of Christ analogy fairly literally: we are all part of the same club, but everyone has different talents and responsibilities. And some are cooler than others.

For a while I strove diligently to find my calling. I tried missions, teaching Sunday school, leading a small group, singing in church, helping at youth, etc. But I always had the sneaking suspicion it wasn’t my “function;” that there were others better suited to those roles and I was just taking up space.

“My ideals fell apart and I was not only disenchanted, but also a bit bitter about it all.”

Thinking about the Body of Christ this way put me into a bit of a catch-22. For you see I always figured I didn’t have a very significant role to play, and, therefore, never felt it terribly important to be involved in my church or the larger Christian community.

So, after moving away from my home church, I stopped trying. Whenever I went Dangling Limbs continued from p. 9

to any sort of Christian service or function I didn’t seek to be involved and no one asked me for much. It was a lonely, isolated time.

And I fell through the cracks.

Moving away from comfort and stability often shakes things up, but I didn’t expect my faith to be challenged so much. My ideals fell apart and I was not only disenchanted, but also a bit bitter about it all. Why wasn’t this easier? Why weren’t people friendlier?

What was I doing wrong?

“I want you to think about how all this makes you more significant, not less. A body isn’t just a single part blown up into something huge. It’s all the different-but-similar parts arranged and functioning together....

If Ear said, ‘I’m not beautiful like Eye, limpid and expressive; I don’t deserve a place on the head,’ would you want to remove it from the body? If the body was all eye, how could it hear? If all ear, how could it smell? As it is, we see that God has carefully placed each part of the body right where he wanted it.” (1 Corinthians 12:14-18) My attitude reflected my effort. I sat around expecting the Body of Christ to meet my needs, yet offered nothing back. I was essentially acting like Ear, saying I wasn’t really a part of the Body because I wasn’t Eye. Looking at my reasons for avoiding church involvement in this way makes me see how ridiculous they are. I can’t show up and automatically get connected. I have to try. And if I fail, I have to try again. And again. Not because I’m the most talented or the most qualified to serve, but because it is my responsibility and calling as a member of the Body of Christ, as it is every Christian’s.

Paul wrote 1 Corinthians to a church whose members felt they could do without each other. They were arrogant, argumentative, proud, and jealous of each other. By comparing the Church to the human body, he was saying no one member has all the

qualities needed to successfully live the Christian life. We need each other.

With Christ as the brain, every body part needs to be in direct contact with Him. Without that connection we don’t have a chance of survival. Think of an arm: if you were to lose it your body would still be able to survive. But what about the arm, if it’s disconnected from the body can it keep living? No way.

What if you’re still connected to the Body, but are inactive. Essentially you’re a dangling limb—dead weight. Sure, you’re still a part of the body, but you’re being dragged along. Not only that, you’re slowing the rest of the body down. It’s when the entire body is working together towards the same goals that it is most effective.

For some reason many of us forget we serve others in obedience to Christ. Being involved in church, volunteering your skills, and helping others however you can aren’t actions specially set aside for the chosen few or the super religious. This is a calling for each of us and if we think we can strike out on our own, or just show up for nourishment but give nothing back to the Body, we are missing the point.

“The way God designed our bodies is a model for understanding our lives together as a church: every part dependent on every other part, the parts we mention and the parts we don’t, the parts we see and the parts we don’t.... You are Christ’s body—that’s who you are! You must never forget this.” (1 Corinthians 12:25, 27)

Basketball vs. a Cemetery Basketball is a lot easier to follow than life.

You never leave a basketball game wondering what happened, but life is a lot more ambiguous.

Of course, we’d all rather be at a basketball game than contemplating life, but it’s remarkable what a walk through a cemetery will do to bring you back to what really matters in life.

Subscribe or listen free online at insightforliving.ca/life-trac A catch-22 is a dilemma or circumstance from which there is no escape because of mutually conflicting or dependent conditions.

Question for you:

What do you focus more on—what the Church and others can do you for, or how you can serve the Church and the community around you?

Robyn Roste is the LifeTrac coordinator at IFLC.

Swindoll, Charles. The Church Awakening. New York: FaithWords, 2010 (228).

The Church Awakening A Discussion about Chuck Swindoll’s New Book

by Derrick G. Jeter

Recently, Chuck sat down and discussed the importance of his new book, The Church Awakening: An Urgent Call for Renewal.

Why did you write The Church Awakening?

It’s a book I’ve wanted to write for more than 10 years. We find ourselves in a world that is less friendly to the Church and more than ever disconnected from the Bible. Our culture has changed its way of thinking from that which is based on objective instruction from the truth of Holy Scripture to subjective, secular thinking based squarely on humanistic perception, where self is always most important.

This erosion has adversely affected the Church and its relationship to God’s Word.

When the Bible loses its central place in the Church’s worship—even if good things replace it—the fallout is tragic. Over time, a congregation that is distant from the Word of God will seek more entertainment and less biblical truth. As a result, the Church becomes weaker and less important in the eyes of the world.

Let me add, however, I did not write this book just to point out all that’s wrong with the Church. That isn’t my intention. My writing has always had an emphasis on grace, which is God’s emphasis in the Bible. I intend each chapter to address solutions, not just expose problems—to point to the hope that God offers in His Word.

What audience did you have in mind when you wrote The Church Awakening?

I had two groups in mind. First, to serious-thinking churchgoers who know there’s a better way. In the Bible, 1 Chronicles 12:32 speaks of a group of clear-thinking, tough-minded men called the “sons of Issachar.” They “understood the times and knew what Israel should do” (NIV). We need that same clear-headed discernment and courage today in the Church. My aim is to ignite that passion within those who are willing to think seriously. Second, I was writing to pastors, especially to those who are “on the fence”—who need a voice of “permission” to buck the tide and to put the preaching of Scripture back in its central place of the Church’s worship.

What is the central message of The Church Awakening?

I could sum up the book through the subtitle: An Urgent Call for Renewal. In my almost 50 years in ministry, I’ve never been more passionate or hopeful for the Church to awaken, to see how far it has drifted, to begin walking with God again, and to engage the culture for Jesus Christ.

It’s my hope that God will use The Church Awakening in a powerful way to renew our passion for what Jesus is building. He was the One who promised in Matthew 16:18: “I will build My church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it.”

Derrick G. Jeter is a writer in the IFL pastoral ministries department.

13

The Hunter Family...

firmly planted

by Joy McKee

by Steve Johnson

Sports. Videos games. TV. School activities.

With all the stuff competing for our kids’ attention, how can we nurture their faith on a daily basis? What’s the secret of raising kids who love the Lord? Lorne and Norma Hunter know first-hand how busy life can be. They’re the parents of five hockey-playing sons, aged 17 to 30. Together, they work the family farm in Shaunavon, Saskatchewan and travel across Canada and the US singing southern gospel music.

Norma shared with us how even in the midst of hockey tournaments, farming, and singing, Christ has always been the centre of their home.

Each of your five sons has a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. How did you and Lorne nurture their faith?

Lorne and I grew up in praying homes and we prayed for our kids long before we had them. I had endometriosis and the doctors removed cysts, tumours, one ovary, and part of the other ovary. When I did get pregnant it was such a miracle. We prayed for the salvation of our unborn children and offered our babies up to the Lord long 14

before we looked into their little faces. As they were growing up, our sons always knew that we were praying for them. And we continue to pray for them daily. We pray about everything in our family.

There were certain things, like going to church, that we decided we would do as a family, no questions asked. The boys never asked, “Do I have to go to Sunday school?” It was just something we did every Sunday. Our boys played hockey and if we were at a tournament on Sunday we would go to the church closest to our hotel. The boys knew that no matter what we did in our life, the Lord always came first.

We had a program in our church called Awana, a Bible memorization program.

As the passages got longer, they were harder to memorize so I put the verses to music and the boys would sing them.

J.J., our oldest son, was asked to sing the scriptures in church to show how music helped us to memorize. Then we were asked to sing in church as a family. From there, we were invited to sing at a pro-life event and an Awana jamboree. When we started singing we had just the two boys, aged two and four, and I was pregnant with the third.

Because the boys were in school and we farmed, it was actually only in the summertime that we sang. The oldest three boys left home at 15 and 16 to play hockey.

But they came home for seeding and we’d sing at festivals and jamborees through July and August. That’s all we sang for years, until three years ago when we started going more full time.

My father taught me to “plant your flag early” and Lorne taught that to our sons.

Let people know right away that you believe in the Lord. If you let people know right off the bat, they oftentimes will keep

you accountable. If you don’t let them know, and you’re wishy–washy, it’s easy to be torn and pulled. So we prayed that our boys would plant their flags early.

For parents who are struggling with their kids and feel they’ve blown it, is it ever too late to restore broken relationships?

It’s never too late. There’s never a hole too big that God isn’t deeper. There were many times when we failed the boys, when we said to them, “Son, we blew it. Would you forgive us?” There’s something incredible about transparency.

When I married Lorne I had to learn to drive a tractor, a combine, a sprayer and do all these things I had never done before. I was a very broken person who desperately needed the Lord in every area of my life.

I had no self-confidence. I would pray, “I can’t do this on my own, but with Christ’s help, I can.” When you’re willing to admit that you’re anything but perfect and only by the grace of God is anything good in your life, then somehow God uses that.

I hesitate to take credit for anything, because Lorne and I recognize who we are and all our failures. I look at the family and shake my head and think in spite of us we have these boys who are trusting the Lord.

It’s just the Lord. He takes our broken pieces and messes that we make and weaves together something beautiful that we can’t even imagine. I’m so thankful for that and that it doesn’t depend on us.

For the complete interview visit www.insightforliving.ca. Read more about the Hunter family at www.thehunterfamily.ca and www. hunterbrothers.com. To order their southern gospel CDs, “It Takes Faith” and “Been a Long Time Comin” call us at 1-800-663-7639.

Joy McKee is the editor at IFLC.

15

Three tricks My Dog Taught Me

by Phil Callaway

W

hen I was a boy, we always seemed to have a spare dog around the house. Our first was Inky, a small black terrier who liked to surprise people. Folks strolling past our house at night, gazing upwards, admiring the northern lights, thanking God for His awesome creation, had no idea how fast they could run until Inky showed them. Inky brought out the best in people. Made them scream their loudest, and write the most articulate letters to my parents. So Dad sold Inky to a glue factory and brought home Lady, an Irish setter who drooled like a bad tap. Lady helped me get ready for school each morning. She could wash my face in two seconds flat.

One Sunday we returned from church to discover Lady had eaten the soles from our shoes. Or at least one from each pair.

The preacher had talked of patience, and how tribulation helped it work, but I don’t think Dad was listening. He gave Lady

16

away that very afternoon, and within a week she gave birth to 12 puppies. I kid you not. I spent that summer asking for one of them. I also spent it barefoot. Shoes were in short supply.

In fifth grade I fell in love with the perfect companion—Mojo. A gentle Heinz 57, she had a black mask on her face and enough charm to win over the most hardened cat lover. In high school I was involved in a communications class debate called “The Ideal Pet: Cats or Dogs?” and as I pointed out that God created cats to show that not everything on earth has a purpose, a friend brought Mojo through the door on cue. She skidded my way on the linoleum, licked my face and refused to leave my side. Within minutes the entire class was filing by, petting her and saying nice things. I won the debate that day, paws down. (Note to cat lovers: comments to Phil can be addressed to General Delivery, Gnome, Alaska).

When our children were very small I she’s thinking, I wonder if he’s gonna give began telling them tales of Mojo, the Sume a lick of that ice cream cone. “Is Iran perdog. Of her unreally going to dying devotion, of achieve nuclear “Dad…brought home teaching her to sit capabilities and Lady, an Irish Setter who bring about the and shake. Just after they learned to end of the world?” drooled like a bad tap.” say “Mama,” they I say, and Mojo’s began begging for a “Mojo.” I finally comthinking, I sure wish he’d put down the plied and brought home the cutest little paper and open up a can of tuna. A good dog this side of Benji. dog knows that newspapers are useful “What shall we call him?” I asked. “How for certain things, but that worry is like a about Puddles?” said my wife. But the kids rocking chair. It gives you something to wouldn’t hear of it. There was only one do, but it doesn’t take you anywhere. choice: Mojo. Within a week they taught 2. Wag the right thing. I once asked her to sit, to lie down, and to shake with a girl who was voted most popular in the wrong paw. And she began to teach us a school what her secret was. She said, “I few tricks, too. Here are just three of them. listen.” From an early age her father had 1. Stay away from the rocking chair. told her, “Everyone on earth is at least just Sometimes at night, with Mojo at my feet, a little bit lonely.” An old Spanish proverb I read the newspaper and find myself talksays, “Two great talkers will not walk far ing out loud. I say things like, “I wonder together.” A dog has so many friends beabout the situation in Afghanistan,” and cause he wags his tail, not his tongue.

17

3. Keep your head up. One day our son came through the front door and I could tell what kind of day he’d had. A well-deserved detention had ruined tomorrow’s plans. His volleyball score had plummeted and his math marks weren’t adding up.

But Mojo didn’t mind. She met him at the door with her tongue ready. She ran in circles, leaping in the air and licking his face as if it were aging cheese. Mojo didn’t care where he’d been or what he’d done. She didn’t care what anyone thought or what anyone said. She just loved him.

We all need such love, don’t we? When life doesn’t make sense, when others turn

their backs, we need a gentle reminder that there’s One who will never leave our side. One who loves us unconditionally and is faithful to the end. Our son stood to his feet and a bright smile lit up his face.

I couldn’t help thinking that even a furry little creature can reflect its Creator. With undying love and devotion that gives us every reason to carry on.

I need some of that love right now. You see, my wife is calling. It seems Mojo II just discovered the sole of one of my Sunday shoes.

Phil Callaway is a best-selling author and speaker.

Visit him at www.philcallaway.com

Insights on Romans The Christian’s Constitution Upcoming Messages Include:

September 27–29: Encouraging Words of Affirmation

September 30 & October 1:

18

Preaching and Travelling with Paul

October 15–18: Putting Down Evil, Lifting Up Friends

October 19–21:

To God, Alone, Be the Glory Forever

Back

to the

Bible

by Ben Lowell

“Ladies and gentlemen, this is a Bible!”

After reading Chuck Swindoll’s thoughts in this month’s issue, I immediately imagined standing in front of my church family, Bible in hand, making such an introduction. What would be their reaction? Astonishment? Offense? Curiosity?

The reality is Canadians have an increasing lack of familiarity with the Bible. Biblical illiteracy is epidemic. Even within the Church those who would enthusiastically defend the Bible as the inerrant, inspired Word of God are increasingly rare. And most who attend church struggle to make time for personal study.

So we’ve become spiritual spectators. Most of what we know has been fed to us by others, and what we believe to be true has been shaped by where we focus the majority of our time and attention: the world. Truth as we know it is influenced by a smorgasbord of random spiritualities and humanistic ideals rather than the authority of God’s Word.

Someone once said, “If you stand for nothing you are likely to fall for anything.” Our neighbours, families, and even those we sit beside in the pew are at risk, regularly falling for twisted truth born out of a society increasingly focused on self-interest and self-gratification.

If we are to be agents of change in our world then we need to start by renewing some of our own practices. Truth, transformative truth, comes by way of knowing the Christ of the Bible. Are we engaged in knowing His truth? Is it a practice, a discipline of our daily lives, to be shaped and influenced by God’s Word? Do we know Him well enough that we can effectively and authentically represent Him to those that don’t?

This is our mission and passion at Insight for Living Canada. Everything we do is for the primary purpose of communicating the truth of God’s Word to a world in desperate need. Whether it’s our Paws & Tales program aimed at teaching children biblical principles for life, LifeTrac engaging young adults in a contemporary, relevant conversation of truth, or Chuck’s daily program and resources communicating biblical truth and how to apply it to our daily lives, we believe the Bible is God’s Word to His people, and as such this is where we focus our complete attention.

Ladies and gentlemen, this is the Bible. Trust it, believe it, be transformed by it, but don’t ignore it.

Ben Lowell is the executive director of IFLC.

19

When the Bible loses its central place in the Church’s worship—even if good things replace it—

the fallout is tragic.

-The Church Awakening: A Discussion about Chuck Swindoll’s New Book (read the complete interview on page 13)

This Month's Gift

The Church Awakening hardcover book, 304 pages

Charles Swindoll exposes the problems of—and solutions for—the postmodern evangelical church and explores the challenges, struggles, and priorities of the Church in the 21st century. (see enclosed form for ordering information)