Every now and then I like to share really helpful posts and thoughts that I come across, and today is one of those days. Scot McKnight is one of my favorite biblical scholars. He is very sharp without being inaccessible, and he is a clear communicator. In my line of work, these are the kind of teachers I seek out constantly.
He has an excellent series on his blog right now asking thought provoking questions about the Kingdom of God. Check it out here:
He also writes with pastors in mind, as in his series recommending his favorite New Testament commentaries:
Finally, I’ve been really interested in reading the shifts that have taken place in some of the more obviously successful new church endeavors. Craig Groeschel from Life Church, right here in Oklahoma, has been making some interesting comments lately on his blog that have given me much food for thought.
mattjudkins.com 
I’m glad you pointed out Groeschel’s recent posts. I’m not quite sure what I think about them. If I didn’t know anything about LifeChurch, then I would probably applaud them fully. But, I guess I’m left wondering what does it mean to speak about returning to some “deeper” things of faith from the context of a church that is all about trends, the cool factor, and being relevant. Usually, when I read such blogs they are written by pastors who can’t achieve what Life is doing so it is a way of condemning Life’s approach. However, coming from the local cool church, I’m left scratching my head and wondering how to interpret his recent posts. What are your thoughts?
I think most folks who write negative things about them primarily know Life Church from the outside. The judgments then are based on things that are evident from the outside: technology, use of marketing, “coolness,” etc., and as you say, a healthy dose of jealousy.
I have a really good friend who attends Life, and it seems they challenge their people in their faith as much or probably more than the average UMC.
However, I think the congregation has reached a point where they see that the extraneous stuff really hasn’t produced the same kind of fruit as things like in depth bible study, prayer, and so forth. So…they’re making the shift to the things that they’ve seen fruit from. This is kind of reminiscent of the Reveal survey at Willow Creek.
Anyway, Craig has weighed in here at the blog before, so maybe we can hear from him.