Kevin Stilley

  • Home
  • Blog Posts
  • On the Air
  • Quotes
  • Site Archive

December 26, 2014 by kevinstilley

Why I Usually Followback on Twitter

I received an email from a friend wanting to know why I was following a particular person on Twitter.  His  question was simply “Seriously?”  It wasn’t the first time I have received such questions / comments, so let me explain.

Everyone uses Twitter differently. Some use it to follow a few select individuals in their career field, others follow only family members and close friends, others follow anyone that posts interesting material, etc.  The uses of Twitter vary greatly, so it is best not to assume that others have the same purpose for their Twitter account that you have for yours.

I USUALLY FOLLOWBACK FOR THE PURPOSE OF EVANGELISM & MINISTRY

About a year ago I decided to use Twitter primarily as an evangelism and ministry tool.  I still use Twitter to engage friends and family, but usually utilize Facebook for maintaining and nurturing those relationships. Given that my primary purpose for Twitter is evangelism and ministry, I usually followback most of those who follow me, including at times some pretty unsavory characters

When Jesus heard this, He told them, “Those who are well don’t need a doctor, but the sick do need one. I didn’t come to call the righteous, but sinners.” (Mark 2:17)

Have I seen any results by shifting my focus to evangelism and ministry?  Yes.  In the last year I have conversed with two separate individuals who were contemplating suicide, I have had the opportunity to share Christ and his plan of salvation with several individuals (including one in a land where we have difficulty sending missionaries), have received feedback that someone was returning to church after a long absence, and had many other such ministry encounters.  I am encouraged by such engagements.

I USUALLY FOLLOWBACK FOR THE SAKE OF RELATIONSHIPS

About the same time that I made the change of focus above, I overheard a conversation in the student center at the college in which I teach.  It went something like this:

Student A: “I have been following Professor X on Twitter and commenting on his posts, but he won’t follow me back.”

Student B: “He follows me.”

Student A: “I guess I didn’t make the cut.”

This wasn’t the first time that I heard conversations where people expressed disappointment that their pastor, professor, colleague, or (you fill in the blank) wouldn’t follow them. I do not want to give anyone the impression that they somehow didn’t make the cut — better to followback.

I USUALLY FOLLOWBACK FOR THE SAKE OF COURTESY

I have served on staff in one of the largest churches of America; people knew me that I did not know. I have been teaching at the college level for more than twenty years; my memories of many of those students have begun to fade away.  I value these people and other acquaintances even though I cannot always recall their names or the nature of our relationship.  I want to make sure the door is open to facilitate communication if they desire to reconnect, so I usually followback.

WHY I FOLLOWBACK FOREIGN LANGUAGE TWITTER ACCOUNTS 

Related to the above point, at this time in my life I have thousands of former students, missions contacts, and friends for whom English is not their primary language.  I regret that I do not remember them all but do not want to give the appearance of rudeness by failing to followback when they follow me on Twitter. Additionally, I pastor a church in a multi-ethnic community where people often seek to make some connection to the church before actually attending. So, I usually followback foreign language accounts, even if I don’t know what they are saying.

I FOLLOWBACK TO GET FEEDBACK ON MY WRITING

I no longer allow comments on my website articles.  I made that decision for a number of reasons that I won’t go into here.  However, I enjoy getting feedback from my readers and Twitter is a good way for my readers to interact with me.  I have a diverse community of website readers and Twitter is a good way for them to reach out to me. So, I usually followback on Twitter.

BUT, BUT, BUT…

Aren’t I running the risk of giving the wrong impression by following some shady characters? Sure, but I would rather have that happen than fail to show courtesy to a former student or someone I met on the mission field.  I would rather run that risk than miss out on connecting with someone who is open to the gospel and seeking a connection to Christ’s church.

DON’T YOU END UP FOLLOWING MORE PEOPLE THAN YOU CAN REALLY “FOLLOW”?

Doesn’t following that many people become unmanageable?

I use various Twitter applications to differentiate close friends and family in order to follow their contributions to Twitter more closely than others.  It is also easy to establish Lists in Twitter to catalog your contacts by interest (church, politics, school, etc).

So, I usually followback,

but there are some reasons that I choose NOT to do so.

REASONS I REFRAIN FROM FOLLOWING A TWITTER ACCOUNT

  1. I do NOT follow Twitter accounts that are “Private” unless I know the account holder personally.
  2. I do NOT follow Twitter accounts that appear to be published by bots.  Why bother?
  3. I do NOT follow Twitter accounts that have depictions of violence or seem to advocate violence.
  4. I follow lots of people who have a different worldview from my own, and who express ideas with which I disagree.  It is part of the conversation. But I do NOT follow those accounts that are being used primarily to promote things with which I strongly disagree.  I don’t want to subject myself to their endless promotional materials.
  5. I do NOT follow Twitter accounts that use profanity.  I simply don’t want to have those words in my head.
  6. I do NOT follow Twitter accounts that have any form of nudity in their profile picture, cover photo, or timeline.
  7. I do NOT  follow Twitter accounts that have pictures of guys without shirts.  Dude, really?  There are lots of different reasons why you might want to show off your chest and abs — none of them good.
  8. I do NOT follow Twitter accounts that “favorite”  or retweet the content that I mention above.  When you favorite it, I end up seeing it.

Well, that is some of my reasoning for following back. Why not tweet me a note about what you think of my choice?

Tweet

Filed Under: Articles, Blog, Communication, Evangelism, Missions Tagged With: Evangelism, Missions, relationships, Social Media, Twitter

August 19, 2013 by kevinstilley

Christian Missions book recommendations

What are some of your favorite books on missions?

* * *

Danny Akin, President of Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary, has recommended the following books on Christian Missions.

Caner, Emir and Ergun Caner. Unveiling Islam: An Insider’s Look at Muslim Life and Beliefs. Grand Rapids: Kregel, 2002.

_______. More than a Prophet: An Insider’s Response to Muslim Beliefs about Jesus and Christianity. Grand Rapids: Kregel, 2003.

Carey, William. An Enquiry. Dallas: Criswell Publications, 1987 (1792 edition).

Glasser, Arthur F. Annoucing the Kingdom: The Story of God’s Mission in the Bible. Grand Rapids: Baker, 2003.

Hesselgrave, David J. Communicating Christ Cross-Culturally. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1991.

_______. Planting Churches Cross-Culturally. Grand Rapids: Baker, 1980.

Hiebert, Paul G. Anthropological Insights for Missionaries. Grand Rapids: Baker, 1985.

Johnstone, Patrick. Operation World. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1993.

Kostenberger, Andreas J. and Peter T. O’Brien. Salvation to the Ends of the Earth: A Biblical Theology of Mission. Downers Grove: IVP, 2001.

Lingenfelter, Sherwood G. and Marvin Keene Mayers. Ministering Cross-Culturally: An Incarnational Model for Personal Relationships. Grand Rapids: Baker, 1986.

Peters, George W. A Biblical Theology of Missions. Chicago: Moody, 1972.

Peskett, Howard and Ramachandra Vinoth. The Message of Mission: The Glory of Christ in all Space and Time. Downers Grove: IVP, 2003.

Piper, John. Let the Nations be Glad: The Supremacy of God in Missions. Grand Rapids: Baker, 1993.

Wagner, C. Peter. Strategies for Church Growth. Ventura, CA: Regal Books, 1987.

Winter, Ralph D., ed. Perspectives on the World Christian Movement. Pasadena: William Carey Library, 1981.

* * *

Grace Baptist Church of Cape Coral, Florida (pastored by Tom Ascol) shares on its website the following list of recommended books on Missions.

Let the Nations Be Glad! The Supremacy of God in Missions by John Piper

The Mission of God by Christopher J.H. Wright

Perspectives on the World Christian Movement: A Reader by Ralph Winter and Steven Hawthorne (eds.)

Salvation to the Ends of the Earth: A Biblical Theology of Mission by Andreas Kostenberger and Peter O’Brien

A Vision for Missions by Tom Wells

Paradigms in Conflict: 10 Key Questions in Christian Missions Today by David Hesselgrave

The Church Is Bigger Than You Think: The Unfinished Work of World Evangelisation by Patrick Johnstone

Announcing the Kingdom: The Story of God’s Mission in the Bible by Arthur Glasser

Mission on the Way: Issues in Mission Theology by Charles Van Engem

The Open Secret: An Introdution to the Theology of Mission by Lesslie Newbigin

* * *

The following titles on MISSIONS are included in the 9Marks reading list for pastors:

Operation World, Patrick Johnstone

Let the Nations Be Glad, John Piper

Christian Mission in the Modern World, John Stott

* * *
The following books on Evangelism and Missions are recommended in the publication Beginning Your Theological Library published by the Criswell College.

Book  Cover Book Cover Book Cover

Book Cover Book CoverBook Cover

Book Cover Book CoverBook Cover Book Cover

Book Cover Book Cover Book Cover

And here are some more from their list of recommended titles on Evangelism and Missions:

The Impact of Christianity on the Non-Christian World, by J. H. Bavinck

Evangelism: A Biblical Approach, by G. Michael Cocoris

The Mind Changers, by Emory Griffin

Unmasking the New Age, by Douglas Groothuis

Transforming Culture: Developing a Biblical Ethic in an African Context, by Keith Eitel

All Things Are Possible, by David Harrell

The Battle For World Evangelism, by Arthur Johnston

A Global View of Christian Missions From Pentecost to the Present, by J. Herbert Kane

Life and Work on the Mission Field, by J. Herbert Kane

An Evangelical Theology of Missions, by Harold Lindsell

Liberation Theology, by Emilio Nunez

The Cult Invasion, by R. Alan Streett

Exploring Evangelism, by Mendell Taylor

On the Crest of the Wave, by Peter Wagner

____________

RELATED CONTENT

  • Missions – Select Quotes
  • Hudson Taylor’s Spiritual Secret: Discussion Guide
  • Missionary Work, by Andrew Murray

Filed Under: Blog, Books, Evangelism, Missions, Worldview Tagged With: Bibliograpy, Daniel Akin, Evangelism, Missional, Missions, SEBTS

November 11, 2012 by kevinstilley

Are you listening?

“The first service that one owes to others in the fellowship consists in listening to them. Just as love to God begins with listening to His Word, so the beginning of love for brethren is learning to listen to them. It is God’s love for us that He not only gives us His Word but also lends us His ear. So it is His work that we do for our brother when we learn to listen to him. Christians, especially ministers, so often think they must always contribute something when they are in the company of others, that this is the one service they have to render. They forget that listening can be a greater service than speaking.

“Many people are looking for an ear that will listen. They do not find it among Christians, because these Christians are talking when they should be listening. But he who can no longer listen to his brother will soon no longer be listening to God either; he will be doing nothing but prattle in the presence of God too. This is the beginning of the death of the spiritual life, and in the end there is nothing left but spiritual chatter and clerical condescension arrayed in pious words. One who cannot listen long and patiently will presently be talking beside the point and be never really speaking to others, albeit he be not conscious of it. Anyone who thinks that his time is too valuable to spend keeping quiet will eventually have no time for God and his brother, but only for himself and for his own follies.”

~ Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Life Together, pages 97-98

___________

“Pay attention and listen to the sayings of the wise; apply your heart to what I teach, for it is pleasing when you keep them in your heart and have all of them ready on your lips. So that your trust may be in the LORD, I teach you today, even you.” Proverbs 22:17-19

Filed Under: Blog, Church Leadership, Communication, Ecclesiology, Evangelism, Missions, Pastoral Care, Preaching / Teaching Tagged With: Bonhoeffer, Communication, Dietrich Bonhoeffer, listening, Silence

April 18, 2011 by kevinstilley

Missions – select quotes

If God calls you to be a missionary, don’t stoop to be a king.
~ Jordan Grooms

The trouble with missions in the average church is that it’s a little like National Blueberry Week — nobody’s opposed to it, but not too many are fired up about it either.
~ Richard Lewis, in  Fresh Ideas for Preaching, Worship & Evangelism, by Christianity Today.  page 154

What we do in life echoes in eternity.
~ Maximus, in the movie Gladiator
__________

RELATED CONTENT

  • Index To Great Quotes

__________

Book Cover

Filed Under: Blog, Evangelism, Missions, Quotes Tagged With: Evangelism, Missional, Missions, quotations, quote

November 10, 2010 by kevinstilley

Continuing the Discussion of Aristotle’s Rhetoric

The following are supplemental resources for the students in my Early Western Civilization seminars:

Thinking Of Rhetoric As More Than Language


The Rhetoric of Interactive Music Gaming

Fun With Rhetorical Analysis Using Cereal

Filed Under: Bible Exposition, Blog, Evangelism, Front Page, Missions, Philosophy, Preaching / Teaching, Worldview Tagged With: Aristotle, Communication, Dialectic, Persuasion, rhetoric

October 23, 2009 by kevinstilley

Jim Elliot – select quotes

He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose.
~ Jim Elliot

__________

RELATED CONTENT

  • Index To Great Quotes

__________

Book Cover

Filed Under: Blog, Missions, Quotes Tagged With: Jim Elliot, Missions, Quotes

August 22, 2009 by kevinstilley

Hudson Taylor’s Spiritual Secret; Discussion Guide

Book Cover

I prepared the following book discussion guide for use with the pastors and staff at Bent Tree.  Feel free to use it with your own group if you think it will be beneficial.

* * *

Hudson Taylor’s Spiritual Secrets
Discussion Guide

Prolegomena

Who were the authors and why did they write it? How would the book have been different had it been written by someone who did not personally know Taylor? Do you see any disadvantages to a family member as storyteller?

Was the book interesting? Enjoyable to read?

Did this book make you uncomfortable?

Did you learn anything about prayer? Vision? Obedience? Love? Trust? Passion?

Chapter 1

Going back to the title of the book, what is Hudson Taylor’s spiritual secret?

Chapter 2

His salvation experience is presented as somewhat whimsical experience. Is it? Note the question he asked of himself, “Why does the author use those words [“finished work of Christ”]… why does he not say, ‘the atoning or propitiatory work of Christ’?”

Chapter 3

How did Hudson Taylor experience a call to China? Do you think this is typical of most ministry “callings”?
His new life “unified in one great purpose and prayer” included preparation and sacrifice. How so? Is that typical

Chapter 4

Taylor would not accept help from family members because he was training himself to depend only upon God. Despite his employers request that Taylor tell him when his wages were due, Taylor did not because he was relying only on prayer. What did you think of this? Is this something that is normative?

Chapter 5

80% of seminary and Bible school graduates who enter the ministry will leave the ministry within the first five years. When Taylor arrived in China, there was plenty of incentive to go home. Why did he stay? Why do most seminarians leave?

The poor handling of practical matters by the leadership of his mission society made an indelible impression upon Hudson about the nature of leadership. Do you think there is any truth to the old stereotype of Christians pondering eternal truths but being bad managers of temporal responsibilities?

Chapter 6

Taylor knew that going native in dress and style would mean social ostracism from his Western peers. Can you think of any New Testament passages that relate to this?

At the end of this chapter, it tells of Taylor’s disappointment about not being able to continue his work with Mr. Burns in Swato. “Yet but for this great and unexpected trial Hudson Taylor might never have been led into the lifework that was awaiting him; might never have known the love beyond all other human love which was to be his crowning joy and blessings.” Do you think this kind of recollection is common among men? Is it biblical? Do these kinds of stories help others who are going through disappointment? Do you think that those who have a poor understanding of the sovereignty of God go through life more disappointed and saddened than others?

“It was one of not a few hard lessons through which Hudson Taylor was learning to think of God as The One Great Circumstance of Life, and of all lesser, external circumstances as necessarily the kindest, wisest, best, because either ordered or permitted by Him.”

Chapter 7

[mushy love stuff]

Chapter 8

Taylor was careful not to employ new converts in mission activities for fear that the money would decrease their influence and impede their spiritual growth. Why?

Pilgrim’s Progress was used in the training of Chinese converts. This is one of the most influential books in all of Western literature. Most Christians today are not as familiar with it as they were in previous generations. Is this a sign of imminent apocalypse?

Hudson Taylor took on responsibility for Dr. Parker’s Ningpo hospital with no visible means of supporting the work. “The secret of faith that is ready for emergencies is the quiet, practical dependence upon God day by day which makes Him real to the believing heart.” How does one cultivate quiet, practical, day by day dependence upon God?

Chapters 9, 10, 11

What did you think of Hudson Taylor’s approach to faith missions? Did you approve of his refusal to have a guarantee fund? I once knew a preacher who refused to have health insurance for his family because he believed it showed a lack of faith in God to take care of him. Is this the same thing?

Chapters 12,13

Your facilitator thinks that this section is artistically brilliant which culminates in these words, “Faith in Jesus crucified is the way of peace to the sinner; so faith in Jesus risen is the way of daily salvation to the saint. You cannot be your own Saviour, either in whole or in part.”
Why is this artistically brilliant?

Chapter 14

What is the “exchanged life” as illustrated in this chapter?

Things to consider

  • Quote on page 161
  • Opening to Augustine’s Confessions
  • Galatians 2:20
  • Have you ever heard a coach tell a player “You are trying too hard”?

Chapter 15

What do you think about them sending their children back to Europe and staying in China to do missions?
Chapter 4 was introduced with this statement of Hudson Taylor, “I never made a sacrifice.” Is this true?
His family was also forced to sacrifice. What do you think about this? Are family responsibilities secondary to ministry responsibilities?

Chapter 16

It is interesting to note that some of the anti-missionary movements that were current at the time of Taylor used similar reasoning for not sending missionaries as Hudson used for not letting people know of financial needs. Whereas Hudson said “If God wants there to be a witness he will fund it” the anti-missionary advocates said “If God wants them saved He will save them.” What, if any, is the difference in these positions?

Chapter 17

What was his secret?

Chapter 18

According to Taylor, the hardest part of a missionary career is to maintain regular, prayerful bible study. Do you think this is true for Christian ministers in other fields of endeavor?

Afterwards

What is the purpose of this book? Does the book achieve its purpose?

Taylor’s missionary work was set in China? How would his methods translate into other cultures?

Effects of the book:

  • Did this book affect you emotionally? Spiritually?
  • Did this book have an effect on your missionary understanding? Missionary commitments?
  • What do you take away from reading it?

“Men are God’s method. The church is looking for better methods; God is looking for better men.“ (E.M. Bounds)

Filed Under: Blog, Books, Front Page, Missions

Recent Blog Posts

  • Discussion Questions for “The Language of God”
  • Billy Graham knew where he was going
  • Interesting quotes from “The Impeachment of Abraham Lincoln” by Stephen L. Carter
  • The Bible – select quotes
  • America’s Christian Heritage
  • Christian Involvement In Politics
  • Freedom – select quotes
  • Kevin Stilley on For Christ and Culture Radio
  • Early Western Civilization classroom resources
  • Early Western Civilization Final Exam

Currently Reading

Frankenstein

Twitter Feed

Tweets by @kevinstilley

Connect With Me On Twitter

Follow_me_on_Twitter

Connect With Me On Facebook

Receive My Monthly Newsletter


Copyright © 2023 · Executive Pro Theme on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in