My latest book I’m reading is A History of Christianity in the United States and Canada by Mark Noll.
This was incidentally, the textbook from the class that my wife and I met in almost nine years ago.

I love history. It’s fascinating to me. My wife thinks I’m weird. Call me weird, but not only is history interesting, it’s instructive.

History helps us to understand the big picture. And for a guy like me who is always interested in the church, this is a great book.

Ok — most of you readers have quit reading at this point, and are bored to tears.
Stick with me for a moment though. Here’s what I have observed:

In every generation in American history, there is the establishment religion.
It’s kinda dry, kinda crusty, kinda worn.
But then God will raise up a new movement.

Over the years, it was Quakers, the Moravians, Baptists, the Methodists.
All of these groups, God used at one time in our history to bring renewal and in many cases revival.

The common thread though in all of these groups was a few things:
1) A devotion to the Scriptures and a return to Biblical living
2) A desire for a more intimate relationship with God
3) A strong push to bring the gospel to the world

There were alot of other characteristics as well, some even negative.
But it’s interesting — Revival, or more moderately, renewal and return to faith is always connected to these things.

The Word of God.
A desire for a deeper relationship with Christ.
A passion for the gospel.

The problem ultimately, is that most of these denominations lost this focus, lost their passion, and became institutions.

So God, every generation, raises up a new work of His Spirit.

My question for you is this: Will it be you?

Are you that generation?

That will be passionate about the Word of God?
That will be passionate about the Son of God?
And that will be passionate about letting the World and your community know?

If that’s you — I can’t wait to see what the Lord will do.

See. History IS cool.