Word and Deed: The Church’s Mission
Just as loving words are to be found on the lips of God’s people, so too are loving deeds to be found in their hands.
God’s glory is displayed when the good news of His salvation is proclaimed and the good works of His people are carried out. Though they must never be confused with each other, ministries of both word and deed are essential to the ongoing work of God’s kingdom. Jesus announced the purpose of His incarnational... Continue Reading
What do we Fight in the Fight of Faith?
True Christianity is a struggle, a fight, and a warfare.
The principal fight of the Christian is with the world, the flesh, and the devil. These are his never-dying foes. These are the three chief enemies against whom he must wage war. Unless he gets the victory over these three, all other victories are useless and vain. The true Christian is called to be... Continue Reading
Polite Villains of the Universe
False teachers play the fiddles and songs the culture is already humming.
Nice blasphemy, spoken between stories of one’s family, is more popular and better received by some professed Christians than plainly spoken Christian truth about sin and unbelief. For some reason I always assumed false teaching would be unsophisticated, even crude. This speaker’s message, however, sounded like a skillfully painted sunny day at the ocean.... Continue Reading
The attractional church problem is nothing new, and neither is the solution.
We fool ourselves if we think the schism between ecclesiological models is somehow a uniquely modern dilemma.
the faithful preacher’s fight manifests in the temptation to add a dash of the sensational in his presentation of the gospel. To compromise his commitment to proclaiming Christ crucified by making it more fashionable. To jettison his engagement with the Infinite by settling on entertaining and enticing his congregants. In The Gospel-Driven Church, and... Continue Reading
From the Head to the Heart: The Motivation Behind Obedience
The doing of the Word completes the hearing of the Word.
In order to be faithful doers of the Word, we need to think more deeply about the biblical nature of ethical instruction and how to cross the bridge from hearing to doing. Recognizing the bridge that connects our listening and acting will help those of us who read the Bible daily, listen to sermons weekly... Continue Reading
Hearing and the Mission of the Church
The Word of God is at work inside believers.
When preachers preach the gospel, some audiences will not believe what they hear. Even if preachers clearly communicate the gospel to their hearers, some will refuse to receive it in faith. Preachers, therefore, should not become frustrated or discouraged. Quoting Romans 10:14–17, author Roger E. Van Harn explains the central role of hearing in... Continue Reading
Of Homes and Nations
The only hope of prosperity for any nation is Christian parents training up their children in the ways of the Lord.
If the course of our country, wherever that may be, is to progress in a God-fearing and righteous manner, that must start in the Christian home. We cannot expect the world around us to pursue a path we secretly balk against ourselves. Casting down idols in the public square will not last if we are... Continue Reading
The New Bigotry
Real progress comes through God’s Spirit and Word empowering God’s people.
Consider the program and aim of bigotry: It seeks to pigeonhole and caricature another group in order to disparage their dignity and worth. Bigotry flattens a person’s three-dimensionality. It is dismissive, and its purpose is to gain control. These markers sound quite a lot like what passes today for political discourse. Among the thinning... Continue Reading
Gospel Ministry: The Kingdom Only Triumphs Through The Unnoticed Faithfulness Of The Many
Most of the acts that lead to the spread of the gospel will be unnoticed and unremarked in this life.
We need to be careful how we judge and who we celebrate. The triumph of the gospel is never just the victory of ‘The Few,’ but of the whole body working together. We need to know that our contributions, however small and insignificant they might seem, matter. This month marks the 80th Anniversary of the... Continue Reading
Racial Justice: The New Religion?
“ Woke is the new Saved."
What is unfolding before our eyes is a new secular religion. For all its claims of “inclusivity,” this new faith is deeply intolerant. It has roots in the American past that would likely surprise its adherents: the Puritan era of our nation’s earliest religious zealots. Progressives are now engaged in doing theology without God. ... Continue Reading
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