We need the perseverance of Jesus to endure the delay. I think most of us know this by virtue of our experience with doubt. The question is; what can we do about it? How can we survive the delay? How can we wait well? Delay always brings difficult questions and a terrible temptation. The questions [...]
Is there a biblical pattern to promises and their fulfillment in the life of a Christian? Abraham is given a promise of fathering a great nation. More than 50 years pass before he has a child. He is 100 before the promise is fulfilled. As a young man Joseph has a dream from God of [...]
Mark Cowper-Smith Zechariah Chapter 4:6 - “not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit, says the Lord Almighty” As far as I am concerned, this is the central message we need to “live” in order to survive in ministry. Not understanding the balance between our effort and His is what brings [...]
Here are some thoughts from Chapter 6 of "Is God Religious": It hurts to see Him reduced to the level of employer or boss. Not only that, it just doesn’t work. If we have to compete selling just another religion, then we are going to lose. As religions go, Mormonism is much more attractive, if [...]
Recently Shell and I were down in Guadalajara doing a conference at a cutting edge church there. The conference was on training the church to recognize communication from God and how to share it effectively. I was ready to teach Sunday morning but I knew I had a prophetic word for the church. I thought [...]
This is the scariest part of discovering the truth about ourselves. If you haven't got to read the first two posts or listen to the sermon online - try it - I guarantee you will get a few laughs. This is the last installment before I move onto another topic - hopefully a bit lighter [...]
Do you ever doubt your influence? I am talking about your good influence. I never doubt my bad influence. I think all of us wonder from time to time just how much good we are actually doing for God. Last Tuesday I was asking myself that question. It always seems to me that I could [...]
Did I get your attention last week with my statements about Christians and truth? See post here if you missed it. It has the sermon link too. Truth = change and change = increased responsibility. I am thinking of the story of Jesus and the man at the pool of Bethesda. A crippled man has been [...]
Mark Cowper-Smith Let’s be honest, most of us aren’t.We all like to think of ourselves as basically honest people. We believe this because most of the time we don’t leave the house in the morning intending to lie our way through the day. Strangely, neither do we leave the house consciously intending to [...]
Today, I suggest we kill a sacred cow. The sacred cow is, "bigger is better." I planted the first church I pastored, and I did it as a church growth disciple. I began with what I took to be a foundational tenet of the church growth movement; "Your church will succeed or fail based on your leadership". [...]
Mark Cowper-Smith Someone has asked me how to respond to someone who doesn't really care about their life choices because they think God has to love them on account of Grace. This attitude is, of course, a misapplication of God's unconditional love. Sadly, it proliferates where teaching on grace abounds. In fact, this [...]