NFTW #010--Buying China-made products; Good news: God is at work in us!

In this episode, we look at whether Christians should buy products made in China, a country where the government imprisons, tortures, and even kills Christians.

Also, there's good news for all of us. God has promised to work on us until He's made us the people He wants us to be!

Here are links to the stuff I mentioned:
China stories: here and here and here.

The Grace Roots blog.

Listen to the podcast here:

NFTW #009--Christian books that make great Christmas gifts!

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Here are the books I talk about in this episode:

The Church in the House by Robert Fitts

Under the Overpass by Mike Yankoski

To Own a Dragon by Donald Miller and John MacMurray

A Tale of Three Kings by Gene Edwards

The Insider by Jim Petersen and Mike Shamy

Kingdom Triangle by J. P. Moreland

Go forth and buy!

Let me know what you think...

NFTW #008--Merry Christmas or Happy Holidays?; Bearing each others burdens

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This week we'll jump into the controversy surrounding Christians shopping at stores that celebrate the "Holidays" instead of Christmas. My question is this: is that the most important consideration for Christians this Christmas season?

Also, how does God reveal Himself in our lives through other believers?

Here are some links to the Christmas shopping dilemma:

The Christian Post article. Here's how Chinese Christians celebrate.
The Naughty and Nice list.


Joel's great post on openness and vulnerability got me thinking about Galatians 6.

Let me know what you think!

NFTW #007--Big changes at Willow Creek; What foundation is your life built upon?

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This I took a look at what's good and bad about the recent changes at Willow Creek Community Church. Also, Jesus wanted to make sure our lives are built on the right foundations...

Here's the video about what's going on at Willow Creek.

If you want to know more about the persecuted church, this is one place to look.

Let me know what you think!

NFTW #006--Who should Christians vote for?; God wants all kinds of people in His family!

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Episode 6 is here, and I can't help myself--I've got to comment on all the silliness surrounding the Mitt Romney campaign. I mean, I know he's a Mormon, but is that reason enough not to vote for him?

Also, it seems that Jesus ministered to all sorts of people when He was here. And, his 12 disciples came from very different backgrounds. What does that tell us about the heart of God?

Here's a link to the Romney article.

Let me know what you think!

NFTW #005--Why is this seminary president in trouble?; God as the perfect Father

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This week, 3 topics on the table:

1. I'm asking that you'll pray for the folks who are affected by the southern California fires.
   
2. How did a guy smart enough to be a Southern Baptist seminary president get into this much trouble?
3. What did Jesus mean when He said God is our Father?

Here are some links:

Give to help in the fire relief.

Here's the article about Paige Patterson, and why he's dropped himself into hot water.

Let me know what you think!

NFTW #004--Book review: "The Insider"; Finding common ground; Do I believe what the Bible clearly says?

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This week, I tell you about a book that has made a big difference in my life. It's called The Insider, by Jim Petersen. Go get it!

I also have some thoughts on this article from the Christian Post. Can evangelicals and progressives find common political ground? I'm not sure that we're asking the right questions.

Also, the Bible is really clear about how God feels about me. Why do I have trouble believing it?

Take care, everybody! If you have a question, comment, or idea, let me know in the comments, or at nftw@sbcglobal.net.

NFTW #003--Ministry to the poor; Evangelizing the military; Do we want God working in us?

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Well, I got episode 3 out, despite major computer issues. The basic topics for the podcast are in the post title. I'll try to update this as soon as the evil spirits leave my computer....

Here are the links:

The intro/outro music was from Jacques Grant.
The cool classical-style guitar was by Deyo.

The book can be bought here.
Military evangelism article right here.

Waye Jacobsen's excellent podcast can be found here.

NFTW #002--Why we build up leaders; What have I placed between God and me?

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This week, I've got some opinions about the recent spate of marital troubles involving well-known preachers. My take might be a bit surprising.

Also, I believe that everybody, including Christians, try to hide from God. Why? Have I put up any barriers between myself and God? Those are the questions we'll kick around during our time looking at the Bible.

Hope you enjoy! If you have any comments or questions, leave 'em here, or at nftw@sbcglobal.net.

Here are the links to the stuff I mentioned and the music I use:

The intro/outro music was from Jacques Grant.
The cool classical-style guitar was by Deyo.

The story about the divorces of the Whites and Weeks/Bynum is here.
The always-terrific LarkNews.com did a great satire of the Whites' divorce circus.

See you next time!

For Podcast Alley...

My Podcast Alley feed! {pca-79861a672a898ba1a25f10e4b6dc8626}

The first actual podcast!

Listen to it now!



This is the first real podcast that's going out to everyone. You can hear it by clicking here, or on the title of this post.

Here's the info on the music I used:

The intro/outro music was from Jacques Grant.
The cool classical/style guitar was by Deyo.

The stories came from these sources:

Our first news story was at Christian Post.com.
The second one came from The Barna Group.

More later. Let me know what you think...

The podcast logo!

This is the podcast logo. I like it!