The Threads Blog

Congratulations to Threads authors Ed Stetzer and Jason Hayes, whose book Lost and Found: The younger unchurched and the churches that reach them received a 2009 Golden Canon award from Leadership Journal. Golden Canon awards are given out annually to the 10 books that are considered most valuable for church leaders. Lost and Found was one of the five winners in the category, “The Leader’s Outer Life.”

Who do you listen to? I’m not asking who’s on your iPod, but rather who speaks wisdom into your life? Who, when they begin speaking, prompts you to grab a notebook and pen and feverishly take notes? I’m a very practical guy. I know the things I do well and the things I don’t. So when someone who knows more about a subject I’m interested in speaks, I listen.

This weeks lesson is dealing with the idea of injustice and addressing the question, “How can I become an agent of hope?” We need to look no further than Haiti to see an area of great need. As followers of Christ, we don’t live “christian” lives in a vacuum. Our faith is more than simply agreeing with a list of beliefs. Our life is supposed to be a living example of what we believe. Our salvation comes by faith alone, absolutely, but true faith- the saving type of faith- is accompanied by our actions. So what do we do in light of the hurt going on in Haiti?

If you’re one of the many people who resolved to grow spiritually or make a positive impact on the world in 2010, now’s your chance. Yesterday’s earthquake in Haiti demolished Port-au-Prince, the country’s capital, and brought down numerous homes and buildings including the presidential palace, hotels, a hospital, and the UN headquarters. The official number of people injured and dead has not been reported, but more than 100,000 are feared dead, and countless lives have been changed forever.

This week in my small group, we discussed things we wished we could control better, and time came up in our discussion several times. We never seem to have enough of it, when we’re having fun it flies by but when we’re bored it seems to crawl. Wouldn’t it be better if it were the other way around?

Scouting the Divine: Searching for God in Wine, Wool, and Wild Honey by Margaret Feinberg is a new short-term Bible study from Threads. Click HERE for more information about the study. The leader kit includes a member book, a DVD with video clips to jump-start discussion in your small group, and a CD-Rom with leader helps, music, audio files, and more!

Nashville singer/songwriter Sara Beth Geoghegan talks about recording her album “Tired of Singing Sad Songs.” Her song “Opening” is featured on the playlist for the Threads study Scouting the Divine. Check out more of Sara Beth’s music and musings on her Web site, SaraBethSongs.com.