LET ME INTRODUCE YOU TO MY FRIEND

Jesus said, "I no longer call you servants, for a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from My Father I have made known to you."  (John 15:15 NIV)

“Now this is eternal life: that they know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent.”  (John 17:3 NIV)

We talk about God in the third person. We teach about God. However, we don't teach about our spouses or about our good friends. We introduce them, not teach about them. Too often we relate to God as a myth or a theorem to be talked about and not as a friend to be introduced.

-- Adapted from Norman Shawchuck in “A Guide to Prayer for All Who Seek God”

#6415

DOORWAY PEOPLE

Many Christians can name one or two people who were critical to their entry into the faith community.  Perhaps a pastor, a relative, a neighbor, or a coworker offered the first invitation, provided encouragement, or welcomed them.  Even in larger congregations, an unusually high proportion of newcomers have been influenced by a small handful of people.  These "doorway people" have a natural way of gently helping people along on the critical first steps toward faith.  Who are the "doorway people" for your own faith journey?  For whom are you a doorway person?

-- Robert Schnase in Five Practices of Fruitful Living


#3519

Welcome to SOUND BITES Ministry

How it all began

Over the years I have collected quotes that pertain to the Christian faith and life in general. As I have read or studied what others have written, I have been struck by the profound thought that is captured in their few short words. I have accumulated these quotes and categorized them. I have used these short quotes in sermons I have preached, in free devotional booklets I have published for our congregation, in small-group studies I have led, and in articles I have written. It has been a great resource to me.

During Lent 1999 God prompted me to think about a new idea as to how I might share these thoughts with a broader audience. At the same time, our family was experiencing the first anniversary of the death of our son, Dustin, who died at the age of sixteen from a brain tumor. So, beginning on that anniversary, March 29, 1999 we began an e-mail ministry in memory of Dustin that we call "SOUND BITES: Something to chew on that is good for the soul." Five days a week, Monday through Friday, I share one of these quotes with subscribers. Hopefully recipients find something of faith and life to think about and chew on, which feeds their soul and helps them grow spiritually. Since its inception, over 2200 daily quotes have been sent out. The subscriber list continues to grow numerically and geographically with subscribers in every state in the U.S., and also in Canada, Mexico, and numerous other countries around the world. Currently over 1850 subscribers receive SOUND BITES directly and many others second hand. Now SOUND BITES is available through this blog, as well.

What's in a name

The following definitions from Webster's Ninth New Collegiate Dictionary provide some understanding of the name chosen. SOUND: solid; logically valid and having true premises; agreeing with accepted views, orthodox; showing good judgment or sense. BITES: (vb) to take hold of; to take in; to grip and impress deeply; (n) morsel; a small amount of food; a keen incisive quality; a sharp penetrating effect.

The first quote I sent out was by John F. Kavanaugh from The Word Encountered. "If our faith is something that really does not make a big difference, if it is actually not crucial that we or others believe, no wonder it seems boring to some of our young. Anything we don't care about can't be very interesting. The things we do care about, however, we inevitably talk about... If faith is real, it seeks expression. It will communicate and profess. It will have the energy of passion."