Author: Seth Barnes

One of my best stories of radical disciple-making

Written by Seth Barnes on May 8, 2006. Posted in Portraits of Disciplers. 1 Comment on One of my best stories of radical disciple-making

God has brought so many wonderful eager beavers into my life who have said, “Just tell me what to do and I’ll do it.” They all have their stories, and of course, the stories are...

What advice do you have on doing devotions?

Written by Seth Barnes on May 7, 2006. Posted in Spiritual Coaching. No Comments on What advice do you have on doing devotions?

A reader asked me the question: “What advice do you have on doing devotions?” My response was this: OK, let’s begin by acknowledging the fact that our time with...

How do you make big, scary life & death decisions?

Written by Seth Barnes on May 6, 2006. Posted in Reaching Your Destiny. No Comments on How do you make big, scary life & death decisions?

This afternoon I got a call from one of our leaders who discovered that one of the participants on his trip was “seriously suicidal” and had been hearing Satanic “laughter in my...

Persecution up close and personal in India

Written by Seth Barnes on May 6, 2006. Posted in Missions. 3 Comments on Persecution up close and personal in India

Yesterday, I received word about my friend and ministry partner in India, Samuel Thomas, who was released from prison after being brutally tortured for two months. While there, among...

My cyber-discipling experiment: an interim report

Written by Seth Barnes on May 5, 2006. Posted in Discipling. 1 Comment on My cyber-discipling experiment: an interim report

I’ve cleared the following report with my cyber-disciples (so called because we transacted everything by email). So, I’m maintaining the confidentiality that is so important in these...

The future of short-term missions

Written by Seth Barnes on May 4, 2006. Posted in Short-term missions. 2 Comments on The future of short-term missions

Last month I wrote this article for a missions magazine on the future of short-term missions: Another good article in the same issue had advice for short-term missionaries: If any...

Where is God in the midst of tragedy?

Written by Seth Barnes on May 4, 2006. Posted in My Life. 2 Comments on Where is God in the midst of tragedy?

There are no great answers when tragedy hits. As a parent of a child who has been suddenly killed, you’re left sifting through the memories hoping for any shred of meaning, looking...

8 lessons for aspiring missionaries

Written by Seth Barnes on May 3, 2006. Posted in Missions. 1 Comment on 8 lessons for aspiring missionaries

Tony Sheng chimed in on my last blog – so I checked out his blog. That’s what we bloggers do. He points to another blog that gives eight lessons for aspiring missionaries. ...

Bless your mother

Written by Seth Barnes on May 3, 2006. Posted in My Life. 1 Comment on Bless your mother

My 71 year-old Mom is traveling with my Dad to Afghanistan for a month-long mission to help the Afghans. I aspire to be a warrior at her age like she is. I wrote my mom a Mother’s...

Hurt people hurt people – the zombie phenomenon

Written by Seth Barnes on May 2, 2006. Posted in Dealing with junk in our lives. 2 Comments on Hurt people hurt people – the zombie phenomenon

I was sitting at a bar ordering lunch at a restaurant in a small airport in Texas when the lady behind the counter accosted me: “Whaddya want?” She was about 65 and proudly described...

Youth pastors choosing the road less traveled

Written by Seth Barnes on May 1, 2006. Posted in Youth Ministry. 2 Comments on Youth pastors choosing the road less traveled

Jesus called us to be radicals resisting a flawed religious order. It was flawed in his day and in many quarters, it is still in need of reform today. We need to be open to the fact...

Reconciling with your kids

Written by Seth Barnes on April 30, 2006. Posted in Parenting. No Comments on Reconciling with your kids

My friend Betty wrote me the following: “I listened to a sermon tape a while back that was part of a parenting series. Part of one tape addressed the shift that happens as kids grow...

Stories of God raising people from the dead

Written by Seth Barnes on April 30, 2006. Posted in The Holy Spirit is on the move. 126 Comments on Stories of God raising people from the dead

David Hogan looks the part of the simple missionary from Louisiana he has been for years (to Indians in the hinterlands of Mexico). He believed that Jesus wasn’t kidding when...

You have to be a little crazy to follow Jesus

Written by Seth Barnes on April 30, 2006. Posted in Radical Living. 1 Comment on You have to be a little crazy to follow Jesus

I was reading my favorite devotional book today and saw this great thought: If the world is sane, then Jesus is mad as a hatter and the Last Supper is the Mad Tea Party. The world...

I’m in paradise today – guess where that is

Written by Seth Barnes on April 28, 2006. Posted in My Life. 12 Comments on I’m in paradise today – guess where that is

I’m on vacation. Here’s where we’re going today. Let’s have a contest, where in the world is this? (contest rules: you can’t venture a guess if I’ve...

Too many parents are far too over-protective

Written by Seth Barnes on April 28, 2006. Posted in Parenting. 8 Comments on Too many parents are far too over-protective

I believe in risk. It’s an essential part of good parenting. I don’t fully understand why, but this lesson is lost on most Christian parents I’ve known. They just...

Five of my daughter’s friends just died last night

Written by Seth Barnes on April 27, 2006. Posted in My Life. 5 Comments on Five of my daughter’s friends just died last night

Four Taylor University classmates of my children Seth and Estie were tragically killed last night as they returned to campus in a van. A Taylor employee died too. A semi-truck crossed...

You can’t believe what a mess New Orleans still is

Written by Seth Barnes on April 26, 2006. Posted in Missions. 1 Comment on You can’t believe what a mess New Orleans still is

I’d seen mile after mile of neighborhoods with trash piled high outside. I’d talked to residents, prayed with them and felt the heartsick tones in their voices describing what it...

Barriers to spiritual coaching

Written by Seth Barnes on April 25, 2006. Posted in Spiritual Coaching. 2 Comments on Barriers to spiritual coaching

From one of our overseas staff members: “It’s has been very hard not having discipleship here. There is no one I’ve met that I would trust as an older wiser man...

The art of the 24-hour board meeting

Written by Seth Barnes on April 24, 2006. Posted in Leadership. No Comments on The art of the 24-hour board meeting

Anybody in ministry needs to understand the basics about boards – I’ve watched boards wreck ministries and I’ve made great friends through them. There is an art to utilizing...

15 Theses of Church (part 2)

Written by Seth Barnes on April 23, 2006. Posted in Church. 1 Comment on 15 Theses of Church (part 2)

8 – Out of the hands of bureaucratic clergy and on towards the priesthood of all believers No expression of a New Testament church is ever led by just one professional “holy...

Why does the idea of a missions cruise turn my stomach?

Written by Seth Barnes on April 22, 2006. Posted in Short-term missions. 27 Comments on Why does the idea of a missions cruise turn my stomach?

Here’s an idea that I found oxymoronic: a “missions cruise.” I received this email about it just now: “Discover the World of Possibilities on a cruise...

15 Theses of Church

Written by Seth Barnes on April 21, 2006. Posted in Church. 3 Comments on 15 Theses of Church

Wolfgang Simpson wrote this – see if it doesn’t challenge you (8 more points coming in the next blog). 1 – Christianity is a way of life, not a series of religious...

How do you build a perfect church?

Written by Seth Barnes on April 21, 2006. Posted in Church. 12 Comments on How do you build a perfect church?

I wrestle with this issue so much not only because of the profound disconnect between my reality and what I see in Scripture, but because one of the necessary outcomes of a good...