Radical Experiment-FBCW: 2014-07

2014-07-09

Secret Church

ANNOUNCEMENT: Secret Church 15 Date and Topic

Posted: 08 Jul 2014 11:17 AM PDT

It may seem like Spring is a long way off, but we want to give you plenty of time to make plans for the next Secret Church gathering/simulcast.

Secret Church 15 will take place on April 24, 2015, two weeks after Easter. Tickets to the live gathering will go on sale this January, and simulcast registration opens on October 1, 2014. The topic will be “Christ, Culture, and a Call to Action.” Here’s the synopsis:

The culture around us is constantly changing, and successive changes are often accompanied by significant challenges. So how does the call of Christ compel us to respond to these challenges? How does a Christian respond to the rapid rise of so-called same-sex marriage and the increasing acceptance of homosexuality? How does a Christian live in a world of sex slavery and rampant pornography, a world where babies are aborted and widows are abandoned? How does a Christian think in a culture of pervasive racial prejudice and limited religious liberty? What does a Christian do in a church that exalts prosperity amidst a world of extreme poverty? During this Secret Church, we will explore biblical foundations for answers to these questions and come to significant conclusions regarding how Christ calls every Christian to engage culture with a firm grip on the gospel in the church and a fervent passion for God's glory in the world.

We must not be ignorant of what the Bible says about some of the biggest issues Christians face today. So mark it out in your calendar; mention it to your friends and family; talk with your church leaders about potentially hosting a simulcast; begin making plans, whatever they are. Just make sure you don’t miss out on Secret Church 15.

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2014-07-03

Secret Church

Persecution: The Basics

Posted: 02 Jul 2014 10:01 PM PDT

Every once in a while, it’s good to get a refresher on concepts we generally think we understand. When’s the last time you’ve heard a good explanation of persecution?

Below, you can listen to a good overview of what persecution is, how it may look, and why it occurs.

Jonathan is the (well-traveled) Pastor of Global Disciple-Making at The Church at Brook Hills.

When it comes to the persecution of Christians, Open Doors is also a great resource. They have a good general overview of persecution as well as country-specific information.

~ The goal of persecution is to silence witness. ~

This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now

Pray for Susan Ithungu and Her Testimony

Print these prayer requests and keep them with you throughout the week.

Jul. 03, 2014 | Uganda
Pray for Susan Ithungu and Her Testimony

Susan Ithungu was 13 years old in 2009 when she accepted Christ. The Ugandan teen stood up for her faith even though her father beat her and locked her in a room for six months with little food or water. She weighed just 45 pounds when she was rescued, and it has taken time for her to recover physically and emotionally. Susan is now thriving in her new boarding school and is in good health and spirits. She clings to her faith in Jesus, has hope for her future and shares her faith with classmates and peers. Her guardian, Dedra Biira, is doing well in her business and is able to help provide for Susan as well as her other children.

Post Your Prayer

Susan, who survived persecution from her own father in Uganda, is shown hugging her guardian, Dedra

Jul. 03, 2014 | Nepal
Pray for Pastor's Faithful Endurance

Pastor "Michael" and his wife have been beaten, burglarized and threatened with death if they didn't leave their city, but God continues to provide for them as they serve in an area of Nepal where few Christians would go. Within a year of being called to the area, which is known for violence, the pastor had gained the respect of many in the town and had seen 10 people come to Christ. Soon, however, he began to face persecution by those opposed to his work. The pastor persevered through many difficulties, and a new believer recently contributed a large sum of money to help him continue his work in the church, which now has 150 members. Although the church faces great opposition, the pastor hopes to see it grow to 500 members. He said he has seen the love of Jesus transform the worst of offenders.

Post Your Prayer

A church leader in Nepal faces persecution in his country.

Jul. 03, 2014 | Tanzania
Pray for Pastors Charged with Blasphemy

A group of 43 Tanzanian pastors, most former Muslims, have been charged with blasphemy for teaching biblical foundations to their church members. In addition, they have been fined the equivalent of nearly $3,000, which they are paying in order to continue their ministry work and to avoid multiple court hearings. If convicted of blasphemy, they could face up to 14 years in prison. Many of the pastors have been persecuted by their families and continue to face pressure in the largely Muslim areas where they work.

Post Your Prayer

A pastor in Tanzania shows some of the rubble after his church was destroyed.

2014-07-01

Secret Church

Another Way to Respond to Persecutors with Unwavering Faithfulness to God

Posted: 30 Jun 2014 10:05 PM PDT

Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them, "Rulers of the people and elders, if we are being examined today concerning a good deed done to a crippled man, by what means this man has been healed, let it be known to all of you and to all the people of Israel that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead—by him this man is standing before you well. This Jesus is the stone that was rejected by you, the builders, which has become the cornerstone. And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved."

Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were uneducated, common men, they were astonished. And they recognized that they had been with Jesus. But seeing the man who was healed standing beside them, they had nothing to say in opposition. But when they had commanded them to leave the council, they conferred with one another, saying, "What shall we do with these men? For that a notable sign has been performed through them is evident to all the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and we cannot deny it. But in order that it may spread no further among the people, let us warn them to speak no more to anyone in this name." So they called them and charged them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus. But Peter and John answered them, "Whether it is right in the sight of God to listen to you rather than to God, you must judge, for we cannot but speak of what we have seen and heard." And when they had further threatened them, they let them go, finding no way to punish them, because of the people, for all were praising God for what had happened. For the man on whom this sign of healing was performed was more than forty years old.

Acts 4:8-22

Here’s the last example we pointed out:
One Way to Respond to Persecutors with Unwavering Faithfulness to God

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2014-07-09

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2014-07-03

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Pray for Susan Ithungu and Her Testimony

2014-07-01

Secret Church

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