Beyond Evangelical | The Blog of Frank Viola

June 15, 2012 in Writing with 21 Comments

How to Get Your Alexa Ranking Under 100,000

Alexa is a blog ranking system among many others.

In a previous post, I talked about the danger of obsessing over rankings and social media stats. Keeping that in mind, if you’re a blogger who advertises on your blog (this fits many of my readers), then you’ll want to know that some advertisers look at your blog’s Alexa score to determine if they are going to advertise with you or not.

For that reason alone, it’s worth exploring the subject.

With over 150 million blogs on the Web today, a blog that has a ranking of less than 100,000 is doing great.

Anything below 50,000 is spectacular.

I’m writing this post for the sake of those of you who want to get your blog’s Alexa score down. And I’m writing from what I’ve discovered from my own experimentation. Continue Reading…

June 14, 2012 in Spirituality with 22 Comments

Let’s Talk About Your Destiny

At the end of Romans 8, Paul challenges the entire universe, demonstrating to all living things that nothing can condemn or lay a charge at the feet of God’s children (see Rom. 8:31–39).

How can you, dear child of God, feel insecure, unworthy, and condemned in the presence of so marvelous an anthem? Paul does not answer a charge against God’s children with their own good deeds, their own clean record, nor with their own victorious living.

He answers only with Christ.

Paul’s life was spent trying to extinguish the specific falsehoods that eroded the notion that God’s demeanor toward us is grace-full. His letters throb with countless “blame-extinguishing” declarations.

These explosive statements are designed to inoculate the church from any accusation that can be laid at her feet.

God accepts only one person, His beloved Son.

And we are in Him.

So He accepts us on exactly the same basis as He accepts Christ. Continue Reading…

June 13, 2012 in Rethinking with 73 Comments

Rethinking Youth Ministry Training

In Finding Organic Church, I explore how Paul deliberately mentored, coached, and apprenticed his younger coworkers in Ephesus for a period of three years. Essentially, Paul repeated what Jesus did with the Twelve in Galilee in what A. B. Bruce called “the training of the Twelve.”

The main difference is that Paul trained eight people instead of twelve.

Interestingly, during the time that Paul trained these eight coworkers to carry on his work, he paid for their needs. Rather than taking money from them – to pay for their training or “internship” – he supported them during those years of spiritual apprenticeship.

Paul makes this plain in his discourse to the Ephesian elders:

“I have not coveted anyone’s silver or gold or clothing. You yourselves know that these hands of mine have supplied my own needs and the needs of my companions. In everything I did, I showed you that by this kind of hard work we must help the weak, remembering the words the Lord Jesus himself said: ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’” (Acts 20:33-35). Continue Reading…

June 12, 2012 in Spirituality with 15 Comments

On Spiritual Pride

Spiritual pride is always toxic to the spirit, yet all too easy to cloak.

It’s exacerbated by a segment of the Christian world which applauds and encourages it.

Especially in the world of social media where the number of followers, rankings, and scores are exalted and sought after.

We humans have an inimitable way of glorifying the paintbrush when we appreciate a painting.

But understanding WHO created the painting helps one break loose of such delusions.

If you are gifted and God is using you, you are more susceptible to spiritual pride than others. But keeping things in perspective is the antidote. Specifically,

1. Understanding that you’re merely a paintbrush in the hands of the Painter.

2. As a paintbrush, you don’t deserve the glory that’s only due to the Painter.

3. You are dispensable.

Sometimes a thorn in the flesh helps us to recognize this.

In this connection, the only “klout” that matters is klout with God. Continue Reading…

June 11, 2012 in Reviews with 37 Comments

BEYOND EVANGELICAL – The Book

“A recently published e-book I can highly recommend is Frank Viola’s Beyond Evangelical.”

~ Roger Olson, Professor of Theology, George W. Truett Theological Seminary of Baylor University.

I’m happy to announce that my new eBook, Beyond Evangelical, is now available. Here is the book description, Introduction, and Table of Contents, followed by three ways to order.

I’d appreciate it if you shared this page with your friends via the Facebook and Twitter buttons below.

Beyond Evangelical

Description

Recent studies indicate that evangelical Christians are known by the world as people who are narrow-minded, judgmental, self-righteous, legalistic, callous, hard-hearted, politically partisan, and quick to attack their own. Why is this, and is there a viable cure?

The evangelical Christian world has fractured into four main streams. One of these streams has grown weary of the Christian Right vs. Christian Left squabbles and vitriolic disputes. If this describes you, then you are not alone. And you will be encouraged to know that God is raising up a new breed of orthodox Christians who are breaking free from the Christian Right vs. Left quagmire.

Beyond Evangelical explores the changing face of evangelicalism and introduces readers to a growing segment of the Christian population who do not fit into the Right or Left categories, but who are marked by an uncommon devotion to the Lord Jesus Christ as this world’s true Lord.

June 8, 2012 in Reviews with 1 Comment

Jesus Christ Born Twice

Whereupon, O king Agrippa, I was not disobedient unto the heavenly vision.

~ Acts 26:19

Much debate has taken place about the central theme of the book of Acts. Some have argued that it’s a record of the acts of the apostles. Others have argued that it’s a record of the acts of the Holy Spirit. Still others have argued that it’s a defense of Paul’s ministry.

Each argument can be cleverly supported. But rather than being broken on this stone of stumbling, I wish to point out that Luke himself tells us what the book of Acts is all about. The theme appears in his opening words:

The first account I composed, Theophilus, about all that Jesus began to do and teach. (Acts 1:1 nasb)

In order to understand the above sentence, we need to compare it with the opening statement of the gospel of Luke.

Since I myself have carefully investigated everything from the beginning, it seemed good also to me to write an orderly account for you, most excellent Theophilus, so that you may know the certainty of the things you have been taught. (Luke 1:3–4)

Luke was the hand behind the gospel that bears his name as well as the book of Acts. Both books were addressed to a prominent man named Theophilus. The gospel of Luke and the book of Acts are twin volumes. They are two parts of the same story. Continue Reading…

June 6, 2012 in Spirituality with 11 Comments

Just Breathe

Occasionally on the blog I’ll post the lyrics to a new song.

Click here to read the lyrics to a song I wrote to the tune of Wavin’ Flag.

In that post, I discuss the long-standing practice of writing Christian songs to well known tunes.

Seven years ago I delivered a series of 19 messages on Ephesians to a fellowship of believers.

While I was giving that ministry, I wrote the first stanza and chorus to a new song.

And then I asked the fellowship to whom I was ministering to write the rest of the song.

They did. And they knocked the ball out of the park.

The song is sung to the tune of 2 A.M. by Anna Nalick – the track is awesome and Anna’s voice is amazing. The chorus is “Just Breathe.”

I titled the new song “In Christ” and it’s based on Ephesians Chapter 1 and 2. Continue Reading…

June 5, 2012 in Church with 27 Comments

Pagan Christianity: Preface to the New Edition

Yesterday, George Barna and I did our first interview together since Pagan Christianity released four years ago.

Recently, Tyndale House released the paperback (softcover) edition of Pagan Christianity. I love that the softcover edition is the same size as the constructive follow-up books, Reimagining Church, From Eternity to Here, and Finding Organic Church. So they look nice on a bookshelf.

Frank Viola

After the hardcover edition of Pagan Christianity sold 100,000 copies, Tyndale sent me a special leather-bound, gold-leafed edition of the book commemorating the sales mark. This was very classy of Tyndale to do, and I wanted to thank them publicly for this thoughtful gesture.

What follows is the new preface to the softcover edition followed by a list of free resources for the book. I’m publishing the preface here because it’s so important to the conversation.

As many of you know, Pagan Christianity is not my favorite book. It’s simply a curtain raiser for my other volumes. Continue Reading…

June 4, 2012 in Church with 38 Comments

George Barna and I Reflect on Four Years Since “Pagan Christianity”

It’s been four years since George Barna and I released Pagan Christianity. Joe Miller recently caught up with George and me, giving us our first exclusive interview in four years. Joe’s questions were excellent.

Here’s the interview. (Note: Reposting this interview is not permitted. But you are free to place a link to it on your blog or share it on Facebook or Twitter via the share buttons below. Click here to review our copyright policy.)

Pagan Christianity

Joe Miller: Before we get to your current life, can you tell us, what has been the most enduring and positive legacy of your book, “Pagan Christianity?”

George Barna: The book has helped many people to open their minds to the fact that the organized, localized, congregational form of ministry commonly known in the west as “the church” is a human construct that was neither dictated by God nor described or found in the Bible. In that sense I think the greatest legacy of the book, based primarily on Frank’s extensive research, is giving people an awareness of the truth about the history of the modern local church body and the tremendous possibilities for more meaningful ministry experiences and expressions.

Frank Viola: One of the most enduring qualities (and effects) of the book is that it has given millions of Christians permission – biblical and historical permission – to question cherished church practices and traditions in the light of God’s written Word. It has effectively driven many believers – including pastors – to reexamine the way they practice church in view of New Testament principles and church history. Continue Reading…

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