Praying our Frustration
Are things getting better? Worse? About the same? And what does that mean for how we live as God's people?...
Keep ReadingDiscipline Needs the Church (Church Membership, Part 5)
The way Scripture describes the discipline of sinners is only possible in the context of the local church....
Among You and Over You (Church Membership, Part 4)
When Scripture describes the role of elder, it uses language that cannot be understood without the idea of church membership....
The Case for the Local Church (Church Membership, Part 3)
As a Christian, I'm a member of the body of Christ. Why, then, do we talk about also being a member of a local church?...
The Church Within the Church (Church Membership, Part 2)
Is the church only those who are saved? Or is it everyone that shows up on a Sunday morning? The answer is somewhere in between, and it might be less black and white than we want....
A Farewell to Proof-Texting (Church Membership, Part 1)
Understanding how the Bible speaks of church membership requires a different way of using Scripture than we might be used to....
Crumbled Have Spires in Every Land
Church buildings are significant, but they are still only buildings. The true church exists elsewhere....
Not Stopping at Diagnosis
What do a doctor's office, a mechanic's shop, and the Bible all have in common?...
Analog Sanctification
Putting off the old self is less like digital deletion and more like an older technology....
Chinese New Year's Biblical Connection?
There may be more to Chinese New Year traditions than meets the eye....
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Praying for the Nation, Praying for the Kingdom
How do those with citizenship in heaven pray for an earthly nation?...
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Surprised by Answered Prayer
How long should we pray for something? Until we receive an answer. An old prayer request list on the church computer helped me understand that....
Keep ReadingTainted Meat and Chocolate Bunnies
What do we do when we hear that popular holiday traditions are connected with paganism? ...
Keep ReadingChoosing the Better Thing (Rebelling Against Exhaustion, Part 3)
Behind the choices we make are a set of values. Letting worldly values often leads us down a path of exhaustion. Jesus challenges us to choose a different path....
Keep ReadingStorm Clouds and Blessings
The Bible doesn't teach us to interpret natural disasters as God's judgment on those who suffer from them, but instead calls us to look beyond our circumstances in order to understand true blessing....
Keep ReadingMore than a Handshake
Hospitality is a virtue that is commanded and commended throughout Scripture. But what does that word actually mean? We may have come to think of hospitality in terms of entertaining and hosting, but Biblical hospitality looks to God's gracious salvation as its model....
Keep ReadingThe God with Dirt on His Hands
The Christian's approach to their calling - whether in the home, at school, or on the job - is drawn from the way Scripture presents God as one who works. The tasks that fill the majority of our time are not distractions from the spiritual life but are instead one of the ways in which we follow and imitate our Lord....
Keep ReadingTalking About Tragedies
National tragedies spark national discussions. How ought we, as Christians, participate in the conversations surrounding events like the Las Vegas shooting? The tone and attitude of our message can be just as important as the message itself. ...
Keep ReadingWhat Good Is an Elder?
Though our culture and our own sin may cause us to be wary of any authorities, God has given leadership to his church, and those leaders exist to bless God's people by following the example of Christ....
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