God: "I looked for someone to take a stand for me, and stand in the gap" (Ezekiel 22:30)
Thom Rainer did a study a number of years ago asking formerly unchurched people the open-ended question, “What factors led you to choose this church?” A lot of surveys had been done asking the unchurched what they would like in a church. But this study asked the formerly unchurched why they actually were now in a church. The results were surprising: 11 percent said worship style led them to their church, 25 percent said children’s/youth ministry, and 37 percent said they sensed God’s presence at their church. For 41 percent, someone from the church had witnessed to them, and 49 percent mentioned friendliness as the reason for choosing their church. Can you guess the top two responses? Doctrine and preaching – 88 percent said the doctrine led them to their church, and 90 percent said the preaching led them there, in particular, a pastor who preached with certitude and conviction… When it comes to reaching outsiders, bold, deep, biblical preaching is not the problem. It’s part of the solution.
Humor can be a means by which the world subtly influences us. When we laugh at something, we tend to accept it and think it is okay, good, or appropriate. Slowly, over time, we begin to accept things that we rejected earlier. We begin to ignore our moral beliefs, we compromise with the world, and we sin – first in thought and later in word and deed. The next time you watch a sitcom, analyze what you’re really laughing at. You probably won’t laugh as much anymore – you’ll probably turn the TV off.
In a large bowl with mixer at medium speed, beat cream cheese, cheese
spread with pimento and blue cheese until smooth. With spoon, stir in green
onions and worcestershire sauce. Cover and refrigerate about one hour. On
work surface, with hands, shape cheese mixture into shape of large pine
cone. Arrange on wooden board. Beginning at narrow end of cone, carefully
press almonds about 1/4 inch deep into cheese mixture in rows, making sure
that pointed end of each almond extends at a slight angle. Continue
pressing almonds into cheese mixture in rows, with rows slightly
overlapping, until all cheese is covered. Garnish pinecone with pine
sprigs. Serve with crackers.
From Gemini's MASSIVE MealMaster collection at www.synapse.com/~gemini
A Message from our Provider:
“Man’s way leads to a hopeless end — God’s way leads to an endless hope.”
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