[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"\u002Farticles\u002Fnew-wineskins-for-a-new-century":3,"\u002Farticles\u002Fnew-wineskins-for-a-new-century-surround":70},{"id":4,"title":5,"author":6,"bibleBooks":8,"body":10,"columnName":53,"date":54,"description":16,"extension":55,"image":56,"meta":57,"minRead":58,"navigation":59,"path":60,"postType":61,"publication":62,"publicationUrl":56,"seo":63,"stem":64,"topics":65,"__hash__":69},"blog\u002Farticles\u002Fnew-wineskins-for-a-new-century.md","New Wineskins for a New Century",{"name":7},"Dave Faust",[9],"1 Timothy",{"type":11,"value":12,"toc":49},"minimark",[13,17,20,23,26,29,32,40,43,46],[14,15,16],"p",{},"After successfully squashing the Y2K millennium bug last winter, we have now made it two-thirds of the way through the year 2000. There's still a sense of mystery about the twenty-first century, though, and some uneasiness about what the church will look like in years to come.",[14,18,19],{},"The Lord doesn't change. Neither do biblical truths or basic human needs. But we can't ignore cultural changes that affect the way we communicate the gospel and carry out our mission. Today, \"spirituality\" is in, but Bible knowledge is down. Tolerance is king, and Satan keeps whittling away at our nation's moral base. Families hurt more than ever, and the trust-level granted to leadership continues to erode.",[14,21,22],{},"To meet these challenges, there needs to be a revival of Christ-centered, Spirit-led creativity in the church. How can we tell the old, old story of Jesus and his love in fresh new ways? How will we disciple upcoming generations of young people born in the '90s who consider Vietnam and Watergate ancient history? How can we reproduce the kind of faithful teaching, gripping vision, and vibrant community the church displayed in Jerusalem in Acts 2 and in Antioch in Acts 11? What will it take to communicate God's Word effectively in the twenty-first century?",[14,24,25],{},"Here are six key words to think about.",[14,27,28],{},"Stories. Jesus taught in parables. His stories about the Good Samaritan and the prodigal son remain unsurpassed. We must find ways to personalize biblical truth instead of talking about it in abstract terms.",[14,30,31],{},"Senses. Jesus broke bread, spread mud on a blind man's eyes, sang a hymn with his disciples, and cooked breakfast for them on the beach. The Lord's Supper allows us to hold a piece of bread and a cup of juice in our hands, and see and smell and taste. People today are into hands-on involvement. How can we help them translate their faith into action?",[14,33,34,35,39],{},"Sayings. All of Jesus' teachings are important, but he gave special emphasis to certain ones by introducing them with the phrase, \"I tell you the truth\" or \"verily I say unto you\" (",[36,37,38],"em",{},"King James Version","). The best teachers always leave us with memorable sayings—short, wise statements that summarize important truth. The apostle Paul wrote several \"faithful sayings\" or \"trustworthy sayings\" he wanted his young friend Timothy to remember (1 Timothy 1:15; 3:1; 4:9, 10; 2 Timothy 2:11; Titus 3:8). What trustworthy sayings are you imparting to others? Could you find creative ways to communicate them through artistic banners, posters, websites, drama, and music?",[14,41,42],{},"Study. Paul told Timothy to devote himself \"to the public reading of Scripture, to preaching and to teaching\" (1 Timothy 4:13). The church needs committed, creative communicators who will be students of the Word, of our culture, and of the art of communication itself.",[14,44,45],{},"Shepherding. Most people aren't just looking for information; they're also looking for compassion. In this new century, we must make sure that shepherding doesn't get shoved aside in the name of bureaucratic efficiency. People will always need pastor-teachers who love them, feed them, and lead them in the paths of the Good Shepherd.",[14,47,48],{},"Staying. Paul's admonition to \"stay there in Ephesus\" (1 Timothy 1:3) was one of the toughest commands in his ministry career. Timothy may have wished he could run from morally bankrupt Ephesus and all its problems, but Paul urged him to stay. Likewise, whatever challenges we face in our changing world, we must fight the good fight, finish the race, and keep the faith.",{"title":50,"searchDepth":51,"depth":51,"links":52},"",2,[],"From the Editor's Desk","2000-09-17","md",null,{},3,true,"\u002Farticles\u002Fnew-wineskins-for-a-new-century","column","The Lookout",{"title":5,"description":16},"articles\u002Fnew-wineskins-for-a-new-century",[66,67,68],"Biblical Theology","Church Leadership","Discipleship","pAR_4LUvRnGoDaEXPDXtSKw3FUvAO2aKF37yWUFTgzs",[71,76],{"title":72,"path":73,"stem":74,"description":75,"children":-1},"New Insights from the Old Law","\u002Farticles\u002Fnew-insights-from-the-old-law","articles\u002Fnew-insights-from-the-old-law","For many Bible readers, the fun is over when we come to Leviticus. We enjoy reading the Genesis account of creation and interesting stories about Noah and the flood, Jacob wrestling with an angel, and Joseph's rise to power in Egypt. Exodus keeps the plot going with the 10 plagues, the parting of the Red Sea, and the giving of the Ten Commandments.",{"title":77,"path":78,"stem":79,"description":80,"children":-1},"How Should We Respond to the Never-Ending News Cycle?","\u002Farticles\u002Fnews-cycle","articles\u002Fnews-cycle","“Prepare to preach with the Bible in one hand and a newspaper in your other hand.” This advice, often attributed to theologian Karl Barth, reminds us to connect ancient Scriptures with the problems of modern life."]