Thursday, May 08, 2008

Which Generation is Your Church Filled With?

In the first generation truth is a conviction.

  • Those who hold that conviction, hold it dearly.
  • They do not know the meaning of compromise.
  • They are willing to die for what they believe to be true.
In the second generation the conviction becomes a belief.
  • Sons hold to the truths they have been taught by their fathers,
  • and defend their beliefs in discussion and debate.
  • However the keen edge of conviction has been blunted,
  • and adherence to a body of beliefs inherited from the fathers is not so much a passion as a persuasion.
In the third generation the belief becomes an opinion.
  • By then some members of the movement are willing to trade in their opinions.
  • They feel it is time for a change.
  • They start talking about renewal,
  • but they may look to the world for ideas.

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