April 18
Most of Unchurched Consider Themselves Christian
A new study, released this week by The Barna Group, shows that millions of Americans do not attend church, and that a large majority of those who stay home on Sunday consider themselves to be Christian. The research, which was based on phone interviews with 4,020 adults between August of 2009 and February of 2010, revealed that:
* In the past six months, 28 percent of the adult population has not attended any church service or activity. When children are included, this translates to more than 100 million people.
* In the United States, 83 percent of all adults identify themselves as "Christian."
* Of those who have not attended church for at least six months, 61 percent label themselves "Christian."
* Two-thirds (68%) of the Christians who do not attend church hold a biblical view of God, but only one-third (35%) agree that the Bible is totally accurate in all the principles it teaches.
Past studies of those who do not attend church have revealed that one of the main reasons for not attending is the painful experiences endured within the local church context. A previous Barna study shows that 37 percent of unchurched Americans said they avoid church because of negative past experiences in the church or with church people. For the complete report, visit The Barna Group.
Last Supper Paintings Point to Supersized Portions
Researchers in a new study used 52 famous paintings depicting the Last Supper to show that, over the past millennium, plate and food portion sizes have grown larger throughout history, possibly foretelling today's supersized portions. The study — published in the April 2010 issue of the International Journal of Obesity — indicates that the size of the entrees in Last Supper paintings has progressively increased by 66 percent, plate size by 66 percent and bread size by 23 percent.
"If ever a time should come when vain and aspiring men shall possess highest seats in government, our country will stand in need of its experienced patriots to prevent its ruin." – Samuel Adams
"In the middle of difficulty lies opportunity." – Albert Einstein
"He who has no vision of eternity will never get a true hold of time." – Thomas Carlyle
"Every artist was first an amateur." – Ralph Waldo Emerson
"The most important thing about goals is ... having one." – Geoffry F. Abert
"Don't be fooled into thinking Satan is merely a symbol of evil. He is real." – Author Unknown
We become vulnerable to temptation when we are dissatisfied with our lives. The deeper our dissatisfaction, the deeper our vulnerability, because we are made for soul satisfaction.
We cannot live without it. If we do not find soul satisfaction in God, we will look for it somewhere else, because we will look for it John Ortberg, 'The Me I Want to Be'
Jesus Had No Servants
Jesus had no servants, yet they called Him Master.
Had no degree, yet they called Him Teacher.
Had no medicines, yet they called Him Healer.
Had no army, yet kings feared Him.
He won no military battles, yet He conquered the world.
He committed no crime, yet they crucified Him.
He was buried in a tomb, yet He lives today.
Feel honored to serve such a Leader who loves us. Author Unknown
There's a story about a visitor to a heavy-duty grease factory. He says the visitors were ushered into a large room and a tour host introduced them to the company history and the number of employees at work producing the best machine lubricants in the world.
They toured the noisy factory, with lots of machinery and wheels whirling, mixing, packaging-incredible activity. As the tour ended, one of the visitors said, "I didn't see
a shipping department." The guide responded, "Well, we don't have a shipping department because it takes all the grease we make to lubricate our equipment and keep the wheels turning."
Someone concluded: Friends, the Church is the best lubricated grease factory in all of history. What's missing is the shipping department. The church does not exist for itself; it exists to bring others to a commitment to Jesus Christ.
"When written in Chinese, the word 'crisis' is composed of two characters--one represents danger and the other represents opportunity." -- John F. Kennedy
A new study, released this week by The Barna Group, shows that millions of Americans do not attend church, and that a large majority of those who stay home on Sunday consider themselves to be Christian. The research, which was based on phone interviews with 4,020 adults between August of 2009 and February of 2010, revealed that:
* In the past six months, 28 percent of the adult population has not attended any church service or activity. When children are included, this translates to more than 100 million people.
* In the United States, 83 percent of all adults identify themselves as "Christian."
* Of those who have not attended church for at least six months, 61 percent label themselves "Christian."
* Two-thirds (68%) of the Christians who do not attend church hold a biblical view of God, but only one-third (35%) agree that the Bible is totally accurate in all the principles it teaches.
Past studies of those who do not attend church have revealed that one of the main reasons for not attending is the painful experiences endured within the local church context. A previous Barna study shows that 37 percent of unchurched Americans said they avoid church because of negative past experiences in the church or with church people. For the complete report, visit The Barna Group.
Last Supper Paintings Point to Supersized Portions
Researchers in a new study used 52 famous paintings depicting the Last Supper to show that, over the past millennium, plate and food portion sizes have grown larger throughout history, possibly foretelling today's supersized portions. The study — published in the April 2010 issue of the International Journal of Obesity — indicates that the size of the entrees in Last Supper paintings has progressively increased by 66 percent, plate size by 66 percent and bread size by 23 percent.
"If ever a time should come when vain and aspiring men shall possess highest seats in government, our country will stand in need of its experienced patriots to prevent its ruin." – Samuel Adams
"In the middle of difficulty lies opportunity." – Albert Einstein
"He who has no vision of eternity will never get a true hold of time." – Thomas Carlyle
"Every artist was first an amateur." – Ralph Waldo Emerson
"The most important thing about goals is ... having one." – Geoffry F. Abert
"Don't be fooled into thinking Satan is merely a symbol of evil. He is real." – Author Unknown
We become vulnerable to temptation when we are dissatisfied with our lives. The deeper our dissatisfaction, the deeper our vulnerability, because we are made for soul satisfaction.
We cannot live without it. If we do not find soul satisfaction in God, we will look for it somewhere else, because we will look for it John Ortberg, 'The Me I Want to Be'
Jesus Had No Servants
Jesus had no servants, yet they called Him Master.
Had no degree, yet they called Him Teacher.
Had no medicines, yet they called Him Healer.
Had no army, yet kings feared Him.
He won no military battles, yet He conquered the world.
He committed no crime, yet they crucified Him.
He was buried in a tomb, yet He lives today.
Feel honored to serve such a Leader who loves us. Author Unknown
There's a story about a visitor to a heavy-duty grease factory. He says the visitors were ushered into a large room and a tour host introduced them to the company history and the number of employees at work producing the best machine lubricants in the world.
They toured the noisy factory, with lots of machinery and wheels whirling, mixing, packaging-incredible activity. As the tour ended, one of the visitors said, "I didn't see
a shipping department." The guide responded, "Well, we don't have a shipping department because it takes all the grease we make to lubricate our equipment and keep the wheels turning."
Someone concluded: Friends, the Church is the best lubricated grease factory in all of history. What's missing is the shipping department. The church does not exist for itself; it exists to bring others to a commitment to Jesus Christ.
"When written in Chinese, the word 'crisis' is composed of two characters--one represents danger and the other represents opportunity." -- John F. Kennedy
posted by joypastordon at 10:21 PM
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