2007
Pat Harrison
Founder & President
 Do you remember that advertisement? GMC was struggling because executives believed that Americans would always buy American-made cars. Too late they realized that Americans wanted quality automobiles that got good gas mileage. Oldsmobile no longer exists. This is not our fathers’ General Motors.
Tags: article | church | God | leadership
|
Arden C. Autry, PhD  “The light of the body is the eye: if therefore thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light. But if thine eye be evil, thy whole body shall be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in thee be darkness, how great is that darkness!” —Matthew 6:22-23 KJV
Tags: article | history | its greek to me | meanings
|
 And they just might get saved FCF missionaries Jennifer and Jorge Galvan use laughter to preach the Gospel to children across Mexico. They are clowns for Christ and are passionate about helping people have a relationship with God through Jesus, which is why they call their ministry Pasión Por Tu Nación (Passion for Your Nation).
|
Lonnie Hilton,
National Director
 The responsibility we have collectively in the Body of Christ was never meant to be carried by one person. Jesus purchased our redemption alone, but our ministry is to be orchestrated with Him and others. Each of us is to do his or her part in the Body where he or she has been placed by the Father. This is why God has given us each other and placed us in strategic locations that please Him.
Tags: church | God | strategy
|
Bob Buse,
International Director
 Now, we embark on a new year. Depending on what voices you are listening to, the road ahead is either fraught with perils, uncertainty, and dread or high expectation and adventure. This past year I had the privilege of keeping company with missiologists who hold a very optimistic view of the future. They share excitedly about the progress of the Gospel around the world, bringing closure to the Great Commission and the eminent return of the Lord Jesus Christ. This exuberant band speaks about reaching the unreached peoples of the world. Their dialogue is not just so much hype, but a product of prayerful, pragmatic thinking about finishing the job. I love the company of these people.
Tags: God | missions
|
Pat Harrison
President and Founder
 It’s a new year, and we all have great plans and expectations because that is God’s will. He has called us and enabled us to accomplish His will for our lives and ministries.
Unfortunately, some of us will allow pressures and insecurities to distract us from our plans and expectations. However, we don’t have to allow that to happen in 2007. Now is the time to deal with these areas by getting a coach. For the past year I have been working with a coach, and the experience has been challenging and rewarding.
Tags: article | God | leadership
|
Arden C. Autry, PhD "Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature:"—Colossians 1:15 (KJV)
"He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation." (NKJV)
The Apostle Paul wrote Colossians to encourage young Christians but also to warn against erroneous teachings which could shift the focus from Christ to religious observances, mere human philosophy, or even fascination with angels (2:8, 16-23). But before he even identifies the dangers in chapter two, he powerfully describes the antidote in chapter one: Christ Himself. If we know Jesus in the fullness of what He has accomplished, we will not be susceptible to the alluring promises of false teaching.
Tags: article | creature | firstborn | its greek to me
|
Bob Buse,
International Director
 “Christian Mission Centre (CMC) exists to exalt the Lord Jesus Christ and to proclaim His Gospel, to train and encourage believers to develop loving and caring relationships amongst themselves, and to put world mission as their priority,” is the missions statement of our FCF family in Vanuatu. They have a big vision to reach the unreached people groups throughout the South Pacific, and under the direction of FCF minister Rev. Raynold Bori they are actively pursuing that vision. Here is a ministry report from this mission field.
Tags: article | church | God | missions
|
Lonnie Hilton
National Director & International Vice President
 No one plans to fail, but a lot of people don’t plan for success either. Two reasons why most churches and ministries fail are: no workable plan and poor management.
FCF International offers strategic planning to our churches. This process helps the church leadership decide what should be done now to make their vision come to pass.
Tags: church | plan | strategy | success
|
Pat Harrison,
Founder & President Prayer is vital to living our Christianity. Dr. Warren W. Wiersbe, an international Bible conference teacher and former pastor of Moody Church in Chicago, wrote in his book Living with Giants, “Before God works through a man, he works in a man, because the work that we do is the outgrowth of the life that we live.” Prayer is one way that God works in us so that we can effectively minister His truth. As we pray for others, we are changed. My late husband, Buddy, always said, “If I never preach another sermon, I will still affect the world through prayer and the printed page.”
Tags: article | God | leadership | prayer
|
|
Arden C. Autry, PhD “You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you.” —John 15:3 (NIV)
In John 15, Jesus uses a vivid illustration to describe our relationship to Him and the Father. The analogy of the vine and branches also communicates God’s desire for us to be fruitful and His design for how that can happen. Among many elements of the analogy, particular attention should be paid to verse three, since our fruitfulness as branches depends on this cause-and-effect process: Only the Word of God can make us fruitful in the way God desires. Before the vine analogy even mentions us, however, Jesus says something very important about His relationship with the Father.
Tags: article | gospel | its greek to me
|
Bob Buse,
International Director
 Next summer the world’s attention will be drawn to Beijing, China—site of the 2008 Summer Olympic Games. The country will spend billions of dollars to put their best foot forward and show why they are a world superpower. What will not be evident to viewers is the plight of millions of Christians in this Communist land. And the truth that will not be told is that Christ’s church is alive and well and experiencing dynamic growth in China.
Tags: church | gospel | missions
|
Lonnie Hilton,
International Vice-President & National Director
 The local church depends on unpaid volunteers to carry out its God-given objectives. Week after week, people give their time and talents in an effort to fulfill the mission of the church. The Holy Spirit guides leadership to assist individuals in the discovering, developing, and deploying of their gifts. God has placed within every church the creativity and resources needed to achieve its mission. God will not give a mission without also making available the resources necessary to carry it out.
Tags: church | God | missions | volunteers
|
Pat Harrison
Founder & President Spring is here, flowers are blooming, and it’s time for baseball. Now I am not a big fan of baseball. I love football. Both baseball and football have this in common: They are team sports, and team is what I want to focus on in this article.
Too often we think if we are in the same building and have the same signature on the paychecks, then we are a team. Not true! A winning team works together and makes decisions together.
Tags: article | church | God | leadership
|
Arden C. Autry, PhD
“Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me.”—John 15:4 KJV
Previously we looked at John 15:3 and the cleansing effect of God’s Word. Only the Word of God makes us truly fruitful. Another aspect of John 15:1-17 needs to be grasped, however, if we are to profit to the maximum. We need to see and do what is commanded; then we need to believe for what is promised.
Tags: abide | article | its greek to me
|
Lonnie Hilton
National Director
 Don’t allow fear to paralyze you or cause you to react irrationally. A fearful reaction causes followers to be concerned. They need reassurance that your judgment has not been overcome by fear and that you are dealing rationally with the situation at hand.
Leaders must demonstrate that they understand possible danger and are in command of the situation. The right attitude is this: “We will face that which is causing our fear, and we shall prevail.” Tags: article | God | missions
|
Introduction by Bob Buse
International Director
 “Reaching the world for Jesus Christ, demonstrating the power of the Holy Spirit, and building covenant relationships” is the mission of our family.
Faith Christian Fellowship of Milwaukee (Hales Corner, Wisconsin) is actively involved in taking the Gospel to a remote mountainous area located seven hours north of Mexico City, Mexico. Though the people of Ejido Domingo dwell in stick and mud huts with dirt floors, live on subsistence crops, and use water from a river in the valley below for bathing, washing, drinking, and cooking, they now have hope because they have received the Gospel. Tags: church | God | gospel
|
Carolyn Buse, Financial Advisor
Ameriprise Financial
 Preparing for retirement can seem like an overwhelming task, especially if you have put it off. However, having a plan makes even the most daunting of tasks seem more manageable.
Drafting a Blue Print
Take some time to think about what you want for retirement and write it down. People are ten times more likely to accomplish their goals if they are written. Ask yourself: What does retirement mean to me? Will I stop working or simply scale back? Will I try something completely new? Will I stay in ministry but still need money to supplement my income? When and where do I want to retire? And what do I want to do?
Tags: finances | money
|
Pat Harrison
President & Founder
 Why do we preach? To fulfill our calling, to meet a need, to seek the lost, to inspire the saved—all of these are true. Each time we step into the pulpit we must remember that we are fulfilling a calling, not doing a job. To communicate effectively, we must be willing to ask ourselves some difficult questions and address some difficult issues. We are not preaching to fill the allotted time of a service but to accomplish what God has asked us to do. Here are some thoughts to mull over before you step in front of people again.
Tags: article | church | communication | God | leadership | success
|
Arden C. Autry, PhD "Jesus entered the temple courts, and, while He was teaching, the chief priests and the elders of the people came to Him. "By what authority are you doing these things?" they asked. "And who gave you this authority?"—Matthew 21:23 NIV
In Matthew 21:23 the word “authority” (exousia, ex-oo-SEE-ah) occurs twice. Jesus’ authority is at the center of the controversy about Him and the charges that the chief priests and elders make against Him at his trial.
Tags: article | authority | its greek to me
|
|
|
|
|
<< Start < Prev 1 2 Next > End >>
|
|
Page 1 of 2 |
|
|
“Fall back, spring forward,” adjust the clock, adjust the body—it’s all part of the yearly ritual. But as I age, the time between the events seems shorter and shorter. I had just gotten used to “falling back” when I had to “spring forward,” or I have sprung back and it’s now time to fall forward? Either way, we have to deal with time and seasons.
La Biblia dice que la risa es buena medicina. Tómese un descanso y ríase, o llore y luego ore. Tal y como solía decir Pastor Buddy: "Esto le hará bien y además le ayudará."