34 results for tag: religion
Getting Caught Up In a Religious Show
All the believers were one in heart and mind. No one claimed that any of their possessions was their own, but they shared everything they had. With great power the apostles continued to testify to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus. And God's grace was so powerfully at work in them all that there were no needy persons among them. For from time to time those who owned land or houses sold them, brought the money from the sales and put it at the apostles' feet, and it was distributed to anyone who had need.
Joseph, a Levite from Cyprus, whom the apostles called Barnabas (which means "son of encouragement"), sold a field he owned and brought the ...
Righteousness by Law or by Faith?
Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. I tell you the truth, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished. Anyone who breaks one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever practices and teaches these commands will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. For I tell you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, you will ...
No Religion Allowed Beyond This Point by Greg Albrecht
Think of a huge sign posted on the Cross of Christ. Warning! No Religion Allowed Beyond This Point. The gospel truth is that the Cross of Christ stands for no more lies, prevarications, manipulations, characterizations and deceptions. Warning! No Religion Allowed Beyond This Point is the gospel truth.
The BIG LIE of Christ-less religion is that God is angry with you and me. The “gospel” of Christ-less religion is that even though God is really upset with you and me, we can please and appease him with our behavior, so that he will not send us to hell as he would have had we not appeased him. ...
Warning: Thinking May Be Hazardous to Your Religion
By Greg Albrecht
Aristotle is credited with saying that it is a mark of an educated mind to entertain a thought without accepting it. That same attribute is one of the hallmarks of a life in Christ. There are two central facets involved in a Christ-follower entertaining a thought without accepting it:
1) the spiritual dynamic of the Spirit of God living in us who "will teach you all things" (John 14:26), and 2) the human dynamic of critical thinking.
I'm sure that every generation laments that it seems its youth have lost the ability to think, and let me join the parade. But let's not just make this a rant about young people. Lack of ...
Browbeaten and Bullied at Church
by Greg Albrecht
One of the most gratifying experiences we have at PTM is when we hear from someone for whom God has "turned on the light." By God's grace they realize their primary allegiance is not to a human religious authority. They realize that churches and church leadership are fellow-servants and laborers for the gospel—and that such organizations and authorities lose their credibility the moment they allow the gospel to be subverted by religion and its legalisms.
The following letter is a wonderful example:
I recently wrote an article about tithing for our church newspaper. My conclusion is the same as that of PTM—"tithing" is ...
One in Christ Jesus
By Greg Albrecht—
There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.—Galatians 3:28
What exactly is a mother? What is her job description? What does a mother do? There's a story about a man who came home from a long day at work—when he drove into his driveway he saw his three children, still in their pajamas, covered from head to toe in mud, fighting and screaming.
He was just too exhausted to deal with it, so he walked right past his kids, through the front door, into a house that was in upheaval. Chaos reigned supreme.
The TV was blaring, furniture had been knocked over, dishes ...
May 2019
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Articles:
Religion: Where Is the Love? – pg. 1
Not That Kind of Christian – pg. 2
The Power of God's Love – pg. 5
Happy 100th Birthday – pg. 6
Crowned with Tender Mercies – pg. 7
Quotes & Connections – pg. 8
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February 2019
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Brad Jersak: Trending: Deconstruction– pg. 3
Greg Albrecht: Aroma of Love, Stench of Greed– pg. 6
Rachel Ramer: Heirs to Religious Angst – pg. 8
Stephen Crosby: Confessions of a Christian Idiot – pg. 11
Peter Enns: No Contradictions in the Bible! You Heard Me! – pg. 13
Brad Jersak: “According to the Scriptures” -pg. 15
November 2018
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Articles:
Enslaved by Religion...Or Free in Christ? – pg. 1
Success by Excess Is Not True Greatness – pg. 2
Thanksgiving Banquets and the Kingdom of Heaven – pg. 5
When Life Downsizes – pg. 7
Quotes & Connections – pg. 8
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“Back-to-Church Sunday” – Greg Albrecht
by Greg Albrecht
Many of the letters I receive are like Forrest Gump's box of chocolates—"you never know what you're gonna get." Recently I received a clever promotional message urging PTM and CWR to participate in "Back-to-Church Sunday."
The letter explained that Back-to-Church Sunday is a great way to get the "unchurched" and the "de-churched" back to church. The coalition responsible for the letter explained that Back-to-Church Sunday is held annually in early to mid September, taking advantage of the time when students are going "back to school." The message implored me to help this new initiative, because, as the message claimed, people's ...
September 2018
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Articles:
What Do You Expect from Jesus? – pg. 1
Information Is Not Knowledge – pg. 2
Religion or Love? – pg. 5
Bricks or Stones? – pg. 6
Broken Bridge – pg. 7
Quotes & Connections – pg. 8
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April 2018
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Brad Jersak: Why Did Jesus Die? – pg. 3
Kenneth Tanner: Lazarus' Story is the World's Story – pg. 6
Greg Albrecht: The Church: It's the People, Not the Steeple – pg. 9
Stephen Crosby: The Cleansing of the Temple: Did Jesus Sanction Violence? – pg. 12
Greg Albrecht: “Who's Going to Heaven?” -pg. 15
The End of Religion – Zack Lacy
It’s been a rough start and it’s going to be a long journey, but Jesus is slowly leading me out of the destructive lies that religion has fed me. I started following Jesus about seven years ago, but before that and along the way I believe the most destructive thing that has happened has been the false lies I have been taught about who Jesus really was and what it really means to follow him.
I speak from the disillusionment of my own life. And I’m learning that many others do too. Fil Anderson, author of Running on Empty and Breaking the Rules, is an author and spiritual director. Listen as he writes that, “an especially significant problem ...
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