Beacon2Light

Many of us have had to deal with bullies in our lives, especially during our junior high and high school years. A song like this has such appeal to us as a result. However, a part of us perhaps thinks, I really shouldn't like it since it is a type of revenge ballad. So, why do I like it? Naturally, I can only speak for myself. What I like about this song is the triumph over bullying. It began with a determination not to let the aggressor conquer one's spirit. Each character in the story persevered by looking to the future and seeing success ahead while the bully, who probably was or is bullied himself/herself, would just continue to be mean and that is all he or she would have. The justice of it and the inner strength toward one's life goals would help each character portrayed overcome in the end. There also was the warning to self that if one isn't careful, the bullied would become a bully.

To qualify you must: Select one of the books below Correctly identify either 1) an article where that book is mentioned in this issue of MF, or 2) that the book is “Not mentioned in this issue.” [to do this, click on "current issue" on mission frontiers page accessed by clicking on the blog title of this article) 1) Supply a link to a book review you have already published on-line, and/or 2) Describe your sphere of influence. Provide a U.S. shipping address. Commit to post an on-line book review (Amazon or elsewhere) within two months of receiving the requested book. Reply to the confirmation email you will receive after submitting the form below (generally within 2 working days). Available Titles: (all to be shipped the first week of November 2011) When Helping Hurts: Alleviating Poverty Without Hurting the Poor and Yourself by Brian Fikkert and Steve Corbett (Moody, 2009) (50 copies) God Is at Work: Transforming People and Nations Through Business by Ken...

I was moved by this eloquent yet simply stated article from David Platt's "Radical Together." Check it out and see if it has the same impact on you. Should we go with a more biblical model of "doing" church or should we embrace modern models as effective and therefore acceptable?

(video link removed due to it playing automatically - see Focus on the Family for the story)

The Most Risky Profession | Christianity Today | A Magazine of Evangelical Conviction Click on the title and read the four page article. Come back and share what you think. Is the author on to something? Has he correctly identified too many ministries? What about the ministry you are under or you are leading? Do you disagree? If so, why?

Pastors, Don't Micromanage Your Church (Click on the heading here and listen or read the thoughts of Dr. John Piper on this subject) This is a nice reminder to pastors. I have been thinking about this subject for a while. It is tempting to want to cast my church in my image. At times I think, "I wish that the VBS director would go to evenings so we could hope to attract more kids." Or, I would think, "I wish the music were a little less traditional and more balanced with the contemporary." However, in the case of the VBS, God has wisely chosen who is to lead it and that's not me. The music ministry would be in a shambles if I, musically tone deaf, were to lead it. So, even though our VBS program is small, in some ways it is mighty. What other VBS do you know of where teens as young as 13 can be encouraged and trained to teach the lessons? The size also helps those who do come to have individualized attention. Plenty of research has been done ...

What is the cost of porn and not only porn but our sex-saturated culture on America? It used to be that in order to access porn, one had to ask for it over the counter, walk into a windowless adult bookstore or peer at it over the shoulder of a friend who had it. Today, one can find it everywhere. It can come in discreet packaging to your door, in pay per view or content on one’s cable subscription, not to mention all over the internet. Added to that is the increased sexualization of music and advertising being marketed even to our children. Mike Stock, part of an 80’s songwriting trio, had written an opinion piece in the British Daily Mail. It is entitled, “Why This Pop-porn Will Damage a Generation of Children.” In it he laments that a Britain’s Got Talent program had two finalists who were 11 and 12. They weren’t the problem, a former Pussycat Doll was. As the invited special guest, she chose to perform a song with the lyrics, ‘Come on baby, put your hands on my body . ...