Author Archives: Don Follis

My text for this Sunday evening’s 703 service is James 5:1-6. Ever read it? Whew! Those who hoard money (v 1), acquire wealth by dishonest means (v 4), live luxuriously (v 5) and oppress the righteous by lording it over them (v 6), come out very poorly.The Apostle Paul is very clear in his instructionsContinueContinue reading “James 5 and amassing wealth”

I always have a sense of dread as August rolls around. Mostly I think it’s the nervousness that has stayed with me since I headed off to Kindergarten. When I see all those cars heading south down Lincoln Ave. going to the University of Illinois residence halls, I suddenly get nervous. I look at theContinueContinue reading “August is an emotionally charged month”

This week I’m up in Elk Rapids, Michigan, a small town 20 miles north of Traverse City and along the east side of Grand Traverse Bay. This is one of those old fishing and logging towns that happens to be dotted with several churches that are nearly 100 years old. It’s fun to go exploring.Here’sContinueContinue reading “Praying up in Northern Michigan”

Journalist Doug LeBlanc writes a well-balanced piece on John Eldredge for the August 2004 issue of “Christianity today” (CT) magazine. Eldredge and a small team of men head up Eldredge’s enormously popular ministry called Ransomed Heart.Eldredge’s book Wild at Heart has sold more than one million copies, and Eldredge wannabes are popping up all overContinueContinue reading “John Eldredge and his wild heart”

Preparing to preach for this weekend, I read Irresistible Evangelism — Natural Ways to Open Others to Jesus by Steve Sjogren, Dave Ping and Doug Pollock. Maybe what I liked most about the book is that the authors insist — and I mean absolutely insist — that you be who you are and not somethingContinueContinue reading “Irresistible Evangelism”

Silverton, CO, is one of those idyllic vacation spots where you see lots of SUVs, expensive moutain bikes and young families in designer hiking boots. I traveled to Silverton (300+ miles southwest of Denver) this past weekend to officiate at the wedding of my youngest brother. Today, Silverton has about 500 permanent residents, most ofContinueContinue reading “Walk up the Hill”

This picture of the start of the Chicago Marathon takes me back a few years. When I ran the Chicago Marathon in October of 2000, it took me 6 minutes to get up to the starting line after the race began. There were 33,000 runners, and I was probably 150 yards back from the startingContinueContinue reading “We Must Run Together”

>During the Midwest Vineyard conference last week and then again this past Sunday (7/11/04), Derek Morphew, a Vineyard theologian from Cape Town, South Africa, was our teacher and preacher. I thought he was just terrific.He clearly and persuasively articulated the essence of the Kingdom of God. He was clear that the the New Testament saysContinueContinue reading “The Kingdom of God and Total Depravity”