Dr Paul Allen

Why has Christianity grown so weak? It’s because of sin, and especially one in particular. Not the sin you’re probably thinking of, though. It's one you may never have thought was a sin. There’s nothing even slightly hidden about this instruction in the Bible. It’s the most frequently taught theme in the whole New Testament. It’s in the Great Commandment. Disobedience to it earned one group the most stinging rebuke in all the New Testament epistles. The Church as a whole is disobeying it right and left, yet totally oblivious to it. What is this long-forgotten sin? Intellectual laziness. It’s the failure to keep learning. To keep growing in knowledge. To pursue God with all our minds. And I’ll bet you never thought of that as sin. But it is. Yes, We’re Lazy The Church is definitely lazy. We’re not learners. We’re not disciples. (The word means “student.”) Most of our sermons are mere reminders of what we already knew, and besides, that, who remembers on Tuesday what the preacher sai...

Nebuchadnezzar, by William Blake (Photo credit: Wikipedia ) “Wisdom will enter your heart, and knowledge will be pleasant to your soul.” Pr 2:10 NIV Personal growth leads to promotion. Stop and look at the people in your church, your company, or your circle of friends. Management consultant W. Edwards Deming said, “Learning isn’t compulsory…neither is survival.” In corporate culture , the higher your position, the less “doing” is involved, and the more “ critical thinking ” comes into play. Consider a corporate conference room during an important meeting. Typically, a cadre of foot soldiers sits around the table with laptops, briefcases, and boxes of files, while the president enters the room carrying very little. That’s because he or she wasn’t hired to run computers, maintain schedules, and manage files. They were hired for their expertise and the power of their ideas.  Organizations want people with the best ideas to be in leadership; consequently, promotions general...