Author: Seth Barnes

How to live simply and love extravagantly

Written by Seth Barnes on February 26, 2009. Posted in Simplicity Liberates You. 8 Comments on How to live simply and love extravagantly

Here’s a book that will give you some practical steps to become more radical in your faith: Small Footprint, Big Handprint: How to live simply and love extravagantly by Tri...

Do you twitter?

Written by Seth Barnes on February 25, 2009. Posted in Mobilization. 3 Comments on Do you twitter?

So, I’m giving twitter, a micro-blogging social network, a shot. A lot of people I know are spending more of their time twittering, so I wanted to join and see what all the...

Mission projects change lives

Written by Seth Barnes on February 25, 2009. Posted in Short-term missions. 2 Comments on Mission projects change lives

Short-term missions (STMs) changed my life. They’ve played a huge role in helping all five of our children to grow in their faith. Their STM experiences did what we...

Why do I need to be initiated?

Written by Seth Barnes on February 24, 2009. Posted in Spiritual Formation. 9 Comments on Why do I need to be initiated?

Almost every ancient culture understood that boys, especially, needed help if they were ever to become warriors capable of protecting and leading the tribe into an uncertain future. ...

Portrait of a disciple: Miguel Santiago

Written by Seth Barnes on February 23, 2009. Posted in Portraits of Disciplers. No Comments on Portrait of a disciple: Miguel Santiago

When I first met him, he had a different name. Partly as a result of his profound identification with his role as a missionary in the Hispanic world, he changed his name. He shares...

Paul & Julia’s wedding

Written by Seth Barnes on February 22, 2009. Posted in My Life. 4 Comments on Paul & Julia’s wedding

Just back from Pittsburgh where we watched AIM family members Paul Van Der Werf & Julia Harper break hundreds of hearts by finally tying the knot. I took the following...

Portrait of a dying country

Written by Seth Barnes on February 21, 2009. Posted in Eswatini / Swaziland. 6 Comments on Portrait of a dying country

I’m on a Swaziland kick in this blog like I was in a Cambodia kick in my life in 1980. When a country goes through its death throes, at a minimum, its grief must be observed...

Women are the key to saving Swaziland

Written by Seth Barnes on February 21, 2009. Posted in Eswatini / Swaziland. 4 Comments on Women are the key to saving Swaziland

I choose to focus on Swaziland because no nation today is dying faster. What is particularly horrifying is that it dies because Swazi women aren’t safe. As children, far too...

Four kinds of liars

Written by Seth Barnes on February 20, 2009. Posted in Living Free. 19 Comments on Four kinds of liars

One of my best friends in life is Kevin McCarthy, a pastor and counselor in Michigan. He and I were dialoguing about “why people lie.” He brought up Dr. Willard Harley...

Why do evangelicals stink at deliverance ministry?

Written by Seth Barnes on February 19, 2009. Posted in Fighting your enemy. 30 Comments on Why do evangelicals stink at deliverance ministry?

Here’s something that’s always bothered me. I was raised in a good Bible-believing church, but no one ever helped me grasp the reality of how to fight a personal evil...

A Christian perspective on the 2009 recession

Written by Seth Barnes on February 18, 2009. Posted in Better Living. 5 Comments on A Christian perspective on the 2009 recession

Indulge me for a few paragraphs on the recession: I was trained in economics and business, but am a minister by vocation. It makes for an interesting perspective. Feeling that...

Why short-term mission trips work

Written by Seth Barnes on February 17, 2009. Posted in Short-term missions. 6 Comments on Why short-term mission trips work

Not all short-term missions (STMs) work. That they have a greater impact on participants than the people they go to help is a given. But beyond that, the impact is often not what...

You have to die with her

Written by Seth Barnes on February 16, 2009. Posted in Abandon. 5 Comments on You have to die with her

God has given Lindsay Stahl, a World Racer on the squad we’re coaching, a wonderful, yet terrible ministry – the ministry of dying with people. It began in Viet Nam with...

Twitter loves Swaziland

Written by Seth Barnes on February 15, 2009. Posted in Eswatini / Swaziland. 8 Comments on Twitter loves Swaziland

I just had an experience I found humorous. This past month, Swaziland has been front and center for me. We just returned from there last week. Because its AIDS rate is the highest...

Please take my baby

Written by Seth Barnes on February 14, 2009. Posted in A broken world. 5 Comments on Please take my baby

What could be more heart-breaking than to hear a woman ask you to take her baby so that the baby might live? There’s something desperately wrong when mothers who love their...

Orphan dreams

Written by Seth Barnes on February 13, 2009. Posted in Orphans. 4 Comments on Orphan dreams

Blog reader Justin Rhodes read this December 16 blog wherein I threw out the idea, “Start an organization that asks orphans for their dreams and then make them happen. Call...

When listening prayer is hard

Written by Seth Barnes on February 12, 2009. Posted in Listening prayer. 15 Comments on When listening prayer is hard

Get a Free eBook: Do you want to grow closer to God in your prayer times? I’ve written a free guide called The Three Day Listening Prayer Devotional and I’d love for...

Why go on a family mission trip?

Written by Seth Barnes on February 11, 2009. Posted in Short-term missions. 5 Comments on Why go on a family mission trip?

Going on a family mission trip may be one of the best decisions you could make for your family. Getting out of the house and out of your comfort zones will teach you to depend...

Frank Viola on Reimagining the Church

Written by Seth Barnes on February 10, 2009. Posted in Church. 12 Comments on Frank Viola on Reimagining the Church

Our church experience in America bears little resemblance to what we see in the Bible. The concepts of a church building, a church service, a senior pastor and an elder board member,...

Baby Moses’ mom gets a house

Written by Seth Barnes on February 9, 2009. Posted in Eswatini / Swaziland. 4 Comments on Baby Moses’ mom gets a house

When we found her, she and her baby (whom we named Baby Moses) were almost dead. And several weeks later, tragically, he did die. But his memory lives on – not only in Philile’s...

Jennifer Smith – the rest of the story

Written by Seth Barnes on February 8, 2009. Posted in Portraits of Disciplers. 12 Comments on Jennifer Smith – the rest of the story

Here’s an update on Jennifer Smith’s story. You may recall her harrowing return trip from Guatemala to her son Christopher after her ex-husband suddenly died. Her life...

Where do you go when you die?

Written by Seth Barnes on February 7, 2009. Posted in Kingdom Reality. 5 Comments on Where do you go when you die?

Here’s a video about a man who died and came back to life. His plane crashed and burst into flames. He was trapped and his body caught on fire. And yet, here he is, telling...

Why debrief?

Written by Seth Barnes on February 6, 2009. Posted in Debriefing. 2 Comments on Why debrief?

Why is a debrief required? For one thing, where you’ve gone through a challenging and stressful experience, it helps ensure that learning occurs. It’s what reflective...

One meal a day in Swaziland

Written by Seth Barnes on February 5, 2009. Posted in Eswatini / Swaziland. 6 Comments on One meal a day in Swaziland

If you’re a child in Swaziland, you’re doing well to get one meal a day. Eating is a privilege. You have to hike miles to get water. You grow up accustomed to the regular...