Author: Seth Barnes

The kingdom of God is like kudzu on an old barn…

Written by Seth Barnes on September 4, 2006. Posted in Kingdom Reality. 5 Comments on The kingdom of God is like kudzu on an old barn…

Years ago when we first saw the Japanese vine draped on the trees lining the highways of north Georgia, we thought it was quaint. First introduced to control erosion, the fast growing...

How to make the office more bearable

Written by Seth Barnes on September 3, 2006. Posted in Better Living. 7 Comments on How to make the office more bearable

I hate cubicles. I hate desks. I dislike most meetings. Most offices remind me of dog kennels. We were made for the outdoors. Sunshine actually increases your serotonin levels. Over...

Building a nest in heaven’s front door

Written by Seth Barnes on September 2, 2006. Posted in Kingdom Reality. No Comments on Building a nest in heaven’s front door

Yesterday I posted a picture of a nest in a wreath. The ironic thing is that we are now experiencing an empty nest at the Barnes house. Our 4th kiddo – Emily – has headed...

The kingdom of God is like a nest built in the front door

Written by Seth Barnes on September 1, 2006. Posted in Kingdom Reality. No Comments on The kingdom of God is like a nest built in the front door

The kingdom of God is like a nest built in the front door of a house… Continued tomorrow.

Parable #3: Cats on a porch

Written by Seth Barnes on August 31, 2006. Posted in Kingdom Reality. 6 Comments on Parable #3: Cats on a porch

This has been an interesting experiment with these visual parables. Here is a picture of a neighbor’s porch – I counted about 30 cats hanging around the house. Again,...

Some churches are like cat ghettos

Written by Seth Barnes on August 31, 2006. Posted in Church. 2 Comments on Some churches are like cat ghettos

My jogging route takes me by a dilapidated house that has a problem with feline fecundity. Not too long ago, a normal number of cats sat upon its porch. But recently, the place...

Rest of the story: St. Francis lives down the street from me

Written by Seth Barnes on August 30, 2006. Posted in Listening prayer. 7 Comments on Rest of the story: St. Francis lives down the street from me

Robert Wetherford is 78 years old and works harder chopping wood than most men half his age. This morning I was jogging by his wood-splitting operation for the thousandth time...

Another parable: The old man who chops wood

Written by Seth Barnes on August 29, 2006. Posted in Kingdom Reality. 8 Comments on Another parable: The old man who chops wood

You did so well with the first parable. Here’s another. Again, the idea is to look at the picture and ask the Lord to show you what the spiritual application is. Clear your...

The rest of the story: Parable of the tent lady

Written by Seth Barnes on August 28, 2006. Posted in Living Free. 2 Comments on The rest of the story: Parable of the tent lady

Those of you who responded – your parables are wonderful! The Lord is beautifully creative in you – I, for one, saw Jesus as I read them. I hope you read them all. Now,...

A week of parables – your chance to help figure them out!

Written by Seth Barnes on August 27, 2006. Posted in Living Free. 26 Comments on A week of parables – your chance to help figure them out!

One of the things you’ve got to love about Jesus is the pragmatic way that he taught. His parables took spiritual principles and made them practical. It gave his disciples...

Cap your lifestyle

Written by Seth Barnes on August 26, 2006. Posted in Simplicity Liberates You. 1 Comment on Cap your lifestyle

The vast majority of lottery winners ruin their lives and file for bankruptcy, learning too late the principles of 1 Timothy 6:17-19 (a passage that changed my life once). A lot...

Portrait of a discipler: Mary Lou Jackson

Written by Seth Barnes on August 25, 2006. Posted in Portraits of Disciplers. 1 Comment on Portrait of a discipler: Mary Lou Jackson

Having been a witch in her younger years, Mary Lou Jackson knows not only the reality of evil, but also many of hell’s strategies. Because she knows the limits of demonic power,...

Alfie: Abandoned orphan in South Africa

Written by Seth Barnes on August 24, 2006. Posted in Orphans. 5 Comments on Alfie: Abandoned orphan in South Africa

This is Alfie – he lives in South Africa. By all rights, he should be dead. His parents both died of AIDS and he was abandoned in a wooden box. Some people who love orphans rescued...

Only in America

Written by Seth Barnes on August 24, 2006. Posted in Culture and Faith. 1 Comment on Only in America

Just when you thought you had everything you needed. Yes, folks, get ’em while they last at this site.

How to be a disciple, Part 4: The faithful heart

Written by Seth Barnes on August 23, 2006. Posted in How to Disciple. 2 Comments on How to be a disciple, Part 4: The faithful heart

Continued from: How to be a disciple, Pt. 3 I was talking to a partner I’ll call “Joe” the other day in New Orleans. Joe’s boss had the same name as a man who was supposed...

How to be a disciple, Part 3: The available heart

Written by Seth Barnes on August 22, 2006. Posted in How to Disciple. 1 Comment on How to be a disciple, Part 3: The available heart

Continued from: How to be a disciple, Pt. 2 One of the biggest obstacles that keeps people from being discipled is that they’re too busy to do it right. Discipling takes oodles...

How to be a disciple, Part 2: The teachable heart

Written by Seth Barnes on August 21, 2006. Posted in How to Disciple. 1 Comment on How to be a disciple, Part 2: The teachable heart

Continued from: How to be a Disciple Why are so few people teachable? They can be taught academic truths, but not spiritual ones. I don’t mean the people sitting in the pews being...

How to be a disciple, Part 1: The seeking heart

Written by Seth Barnes on August 20, 2006. Posted in How to Disciple. 3 Comments on How to be a disciple, Part 1: The seeking heart

I’ve used this blog to talk a lot about how to disciple others, but I’ve not said much about how to actually be a disicple. So, I’m going to take the next four...

Discipleship in the marketplace (part 2)

Written by Seth Barnes on August 19, 2006. Posted in How to Disciple. 1 Comment on Discipleship in the marketplace (part 2)

Here are some ideas from my board of directors, all of whom are in the workplace: Stu: Has an in-depth discipleship study that he takes his employees thru. Steve: Leaves clues as...

Why discipling in the marketplace is so hard

Written by Seth Barnes on August 19, 2006. Posted in Discipling. No Comments on Why discipling in the marketplace is so hard

My friend, Os Hillman, has become a guru to those in the marketplace who are seeking to incarnate Christ there. He wrote the definitive book on how to do it, 9 to 5 Window. But as...

Discipleship in the marketplace

Written by Seth Barnes on August 18, 2006. Posted in Discipling. No Comments on Discipleship in the marketplace

AIM board member Stu Johnson is getting to do his dream. He is leaving his executive role and starting several businesses that double as venues to disciple people. He tells the story...

Using the workplace as a discipling venue

Written by Seth Barnes on August 17, 2006. Posted in How to Disciple. 1 Comment on Using the workplace as a discipling venue

Here are the examples of six friends who actively bring their faith to work. Roger Fisher, a CFO, used to meet a group of employees before work for an hour of intercessory prayer. Steve...

Lessons from a veteran church shopper

Written by Seth Barnes on August 16, 2006. Posted in My Life. No Comments on Lessons from a veteran church shopper

I didn’t want to become a church shopper – it happened to us through a series of church blow-ups over 20 years in seven churches. A few lessons: 1. The best service the...

Our family history with churches

Written by Seth Barnes on August 15, 2006. Posted in Church. 6 Comments on Our family history with churches

Some people have all the luck with churches. And then there are those of us who found ourselves in a succession of church train wrecks. I don’t know what your church resume...